10 Nutritional Secrets That Could Improve Your Life

The best way to stay healthy is to start making little changes to your everyday diet routine.

Sometimes it is all about the little things, and small steps, that is the most important. Change is hard but inevitable; however, slight changes come naturally.

If you have wondered why you did not have success with your diets and kept getting more weight than losing any, the answer is in those little things – the habits that are hard to change.

This is what you need to know about 10 nutritional secrets.

 

Every time you are thirsty, STOP and THINK what you drink

We know the value of water, there is no need to talk about the benefits of the most important liquid. The problem appears when a person develops a habit of drinking sweetened beverages, sweetened teas, sodas, and artificial juices of all kinds.

Surely, all we want is to satisfy our thirst, but we often forget that soft drinks contain more calories, artificial sweeteners, sugar, and fat and so on.

It is said that the average person drinks more than 400 calories a day. This information gets you thinking about the beverages you drink.

Just by cutting down on soft drinks and any other drink that contain added sugar and fat can help you lose weight. In a single year, one can lose up to 40 pounds.

 

Opt for PROTEINS in every meal

Proteins are crucial for the energy, and proteins are excellent for breakfast. People who eat more proteins tend to lose weight faster than people who eat less including those who eat carbohydrates.

Proteins are great for metabolism, and they will help you eat less at subsequent meals.

For breakfast, opt for eggs, rather than a bagel, for instance. Moreover, proteins will also help you feel less deprived (especially if you have been trying to lose weigh in quite some time).

 

Eat FRUITS and VEGETABLES whenever you can

You need vitamins do not forget that! The best sources of vitamins are fresh fruits and vegetables, so fill your fridge fast.

Raw fruits and veggies are the best option but include them in your meals as well.

According to one study, people who eat four or five servings a day, that is, those who eat fruits and veggies two to three times a day have better concentration and their cognition is improving significantly.

 

FORGET about serving dishes on the table

Although this advice sounds strange, the truth is that people eat more when the food is on the table and you know it.

Sometimes when we are not hungry, we eat just because we see the food in front of us, or somewhere near us. Even the smell is tempting us, when something smells good, you have to try it, to taste it and enjoy it.

We cannot do much about the smell, that is for sure, but we can do much when we serve the food.

Studies showed that individual plates, as opposed to empty plates and food in the middle of the table, make you eat 35 percent less.

 

FORGET about your fork when chewing

Ideally, you should chew your food 30 to 50 times per mouthful. It is not convenient to count, but eating slowly will be the solution. During this 40 seconds, more or less, leave your fork on the table. If you do not know what to do with your hands, well do not think about it, and for instance, take a sip of water.

Studies have shown that slowly eating and chewing boost two hormones that make you feel fuller. You should also keep in mind that our brain needs 20 minutes to get the information from our stomach.

 

EXERCISE before lunch or dinner

Exercising is good in general, but exercising before lunch or dinner will help with digestion and metabolism.

If you exercise before lunch, for instance, you will eat less during the day. The meals you eat right after exercising will make you feel fuller.

This exercising does not have to be more than 20 minutes, because if you do a full training at the gym, you may boost your muscles and strength. However, if you prefer working out at gyms, find a good trainer with experience in nutrition-related exercising.

 

Drink GREEN TEA

Apart from the fact that it will help you build a strong skeleton, green tea is a very popular weight-loss drink. It has active ingredients that help burn fat, keep the energy stable, and it is good for your skin and immune system.

Green tea is the perfect substitute for sweetened teas and soft drinks. One study showed that green tea fights bad breath as well.

 

Instead of one (usually for breakfast), drink TWO GLASSES of milk

Calcium, vitamin D, and healthy teeth and bones – what more do you want? If you did not know, milk is also great for hydration due to the water molecules it contains.

A glass of milk is great, but two glasses double the benefits.

The study also showed that people who drink milk daily and more than one glass lower the risk of heart diseases for about 16 percent.

 

Eat more FISH

It is simple – oily fish for alertness and concentration. If you consume 4 to 6-ounce servings of oily fish a week, your cognitive abilities improve drastically.

The best is that we can also enjoy cooking and experiment with different recipes since we have great choices: salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel, and trout.

Fish is rich in DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and people who have high blood levels of DHA have better memory, vocabulary and are mentally strong.

 

Do not run home to watch TV and eat – forget about it and TURN IT OFF

Is there something more I need to say that I already did not point out in the previous sentence? Anything you do in front of the TV, you will not do it right.

If you eat in front of the TV, you will eat more, not to mention that you will also put your digestive system at risk.

The same goes for other video technologies. When you eat, do nothing more but eating.

 
Reference:
Mateljan, G. (2006). The World’s Healthiest Foods, Essential Guide for the Healthiest Way of Eating. World’s Healthiest Foods.
Scott, S.J. (2013). 70 Healthy Habits – How to Eat Better, Feel Great, Get More Energy and Live a Healthy Lifestyle.

 
Credit images: DepositPhoto.com

 
Last article update: 3/19/2019