Nowadays, most of the people have tried some diet in their life. Unfortunately for some people it is very difficult to maintain a long-term diet, since if they do not see the results immediately they tend to become depressed. However, there are other options that are nutritious and that can help you.
Learn about the 10 nutritional habits that can help you improve your health and lose weight. For them to work for you, you must maintain them in your day to day.
10 nutritional habits that promote health
1. Eat foods that you enjoy
Food is a pleasant experience, if you eliminate all the foods that you like, it is likely that you will not adhere to any diet plan.
2. Control portion sizes
There is a very important psychological component when it comes to eating, especially when you have in mind to lose weight and it is to be aware of weight loss and also take into account the sizes of the portions you consume. Keeping an eye on the portions of what is consumed helps avoid overeating.
3. Do not always eat lunch away from home
Portion sizes in American restaurants have increased up to three times in the last 20 years, and have changed the perception of what is believed to be a normal food portion.
One way to keep calories in check is to choose portions of food no bigger than your fist. Therefore, if you are controlling your portion sizes, it is better to bring your own lunch to work instead of going to restaurants.
4. Eat snacks that provide fiber and protein
Fiber and protein help us feel satisfied. In contrast, processed foods like candy bars and cookies are generally low in fiber and protein and are not good for your health.
Foods that contain fiber and protein, help weight loss, as they help increase the feeling of fullness, in addition to stimulating weight loss.
5. Include the Mediterranean diet
Different studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet helps reduce the risk of heart disease and that it provides some potential benefits related to memory.
A recent study, in this regard, also found a link between this eating plan and a lower risk of breast cancer in older women.
6. Get your calories from food, not liquids
Juice and soft drinks can taste much better than water, however, they have calories that are detrimental to health.
To confirm this, a study of 173 overweight women between the ages of 25 and 50 found that by substituting sweetened beverages for plain water, greater weight loss was achieved regardless of diet and exercise program followed.
7. Be flexible
Having a flexible eating plan is the key. In this way, allowing yourself to have a variety of different types of food of your choice will help you have a healthier and more varied diet. In this sense, spices can help you vary the flavor of your most typical dishes.
8. Never go shopping when you are hungry
One small study found that hungry shoppers chose a third more junk food than non-hungry shoppers. Therefore, it was concluded that when the feeling of satiety is felt, the person is more aware of what he is buying.
9. Sleep a sufficient number of hours
Sleeping can be one of the keys to losing weight. Researchers using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scanned the brains of 25 men and women of average weight while looking at some images of junk food.
These participants were studied after a week of 9 hours of sleep at night and then after a week of 4 hours of sleep.
In this study it was discovered that, when the participants were well rested, the reward centers of their brains did not react to photos of junk food, whereas those who had only slept three hours were more attracted to this kind of food, because they were more tired and needed more energy.
10. Start the day with a good breakfast
There is a saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it may be true. There is evidence to suggest that you should start with breakfast to provide energy for the day.
This issue has always been a point of controversy, some claim that it is not necessary and others that it is. However, breakfast does provide vital nutrients to keep you energized throughout the day.
Therefore, it is important to eat a breakfast high in protein and carbohydrates in the morning, but low in sugar.
Reference
- Ramsey, L. and Orwing, J. 15 Healthy eating habits that work, according to science. For Businessinsider [Revised November 2016]
