Ah, nutrition. It is one of the most complex topics in health.
With the fast paced life most of us live now a day it is becoming increasingly harder to eat right. Time is always the biggest issue and the healthier snacks tend to be the most expensive. I get it. It is hard to get up an hour earlier in the morning to cook when a bowl of cereal is much more efficient, or slave away in the kitchen after a long day of work. However, our health should always be our top priority. A professor of mine used the quote “It’s not about having time; it’s about making time” as motivation. I challenge you to start making time for healthy eating and below I would like to give some general tips to help ease us into eating right.
So let’s get started!
1. Try to stay away from sugary drinks. This includes sodas and fruit juices. Not only are sugary drinks not assimilated the same as sugar from foods, but also they increase your caloric intake and are associated with diabetes and obesity.
2. Nuts make a nutritious snack. They are high in nutrients like: vitamin E, magnesium, and fiber, and some studies have shown that they can help with weight loss. Next time your scrambling around for something to snack on, remember to go nuts!
3. Go ahead, have that cup of Joe. Coffee has many antioxidants, helps reduce diseases, and is very healthy!
4. Fish, fish, fish. Incorporating fish into your diet is essential. Fatty fish like salmon delivers plenty of fatty acids and important nutrients to your diet.
5. Another great snack is yogurt. The probiotic properties it contains helps maintain the health of your gut bacteria. Fibrous foods also help.
6. Your diet should mostly consist of fruits and vegetables. They are high in minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins.
7. Proteins are also a vital part of nutrition. It helps boost your metabolism, makes you fuller, and helps reduced blood pressure and sugar levels.
8. Lastly, avoid processed junk foods. This seems like an obvious thing to do, but we easily resort to those when looking for a snack.
I suggest keeping these recommendations in the back of your mind. They can be helpful when deciding what snacks to purchase, drinks to order, and foods to eat. Little by little, try to incorporate them into your daily meals to form that habit.
Maintaining proper nutrition is extremely important and it will nicely compliment all the hard work I see you guys put in everyday at The Ark.