Sunday, September 14, 2014

Nutritional Tips For You And Your Family

By Sandra Taylor


A nutritious diet is the foundation of good health, so it's very important to make sure that you know how to eat properly. Many of us assume we are eating a healthy diet, when really, we may be missing vital nutrients. This article will give you some great tips for ensuring that your diet is as healthy as possible.

Start replacing all your regular snacks for healthier options. Instead of eating chips and cookies replace them with fruit or yogurt. You will not only notice the difference after a few weeks when you do this but it will also help give you more energy when you exercise, remember you are what you eat.

Try being a vegetarian at least one day a week. A vegetarian is in some ways healthier than being a meat eater. Even if you are not ready to make a leap to complete vegetarianism, you can get some of the benefits of a vegetarian diet by taking a break from meat completely one day every week.

When it comes to pregnancy cravings, watch not only what foods they are but how much you want. In other words, if you must satisfy an unhealthy craving, do it in a healthy way. Watch your portions and what is in what you desire. This is not a free period to engorge yourself on junk as not getting enough of what you need can harm you, and possibly the baby, later on.

Make sure you eat foods containing vitamin C everyday. Humans are unable to produce or store vitamin C and deficiency can cause soft gums, skin hemorrhages, brittle teeth and nails, slow wound healing, anemia and eventually scurvy. Good sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits like limes, lemons and oranges.

When considering your nutrition vegetables are a great choice, but be sure that you are not losing nutrients by how they are being prepared. Often times, boiling will actually cause your vegetables to lose a large percentages of their nutrients to the bottom of the pot. You will retain the most vitamins by either microwaving or steaming your vegetables.

To improve your diet, you may want to consider reducing the amount of meat and dairy you consume. You don't have to go completely vegetarian, but try cutting out meat from one or two dinners per week at first. There are lots of tasty and nutritious alternatives to meat available at any grocery store.

Nutritionists agree that when it comes to lowering cholesterol levels with protein, 25 milligrams per day is the magic number. Vegetarians (or anyone else, for that matter) can easily meet this requirement by consuming soy foods like edamame (green soybeans that have been steamed and lightly salted), tofu, and roasted soy nuts.

To cleanse your colon, look for nutrient rich foods that are rich in fiber. Fiber works as a natural laxative, making it a perfect choice for colon cleansing. To keep your health optimal, you should be sure to consume plenty of nutrients while you cleanse. Foods like green peas, spinach, and kidney beans will cleanse your colon while providing your body with vitamins and minerals.

Anyone can make a positive change to their body by simply changing the way he or she prepares his or her meals at home. You can avoid a lot of fats just by steaming or baking, as opposed to deep frying your food. All a person needs to do is make those healthy choices.

Eat about six small meals a day. Your body processes food differently when that food is spread into smaller portions, more often during the day. Your insulin levels will not spike and there are positive effects on your metabolism, as well. Fill the meals with fruits and vegetables, for optimal results.

To help your body fight off common illnesses, such as the common cold and diarrhea, eat plenty of probiotics. Probiotics are a healthy, living bacteria that has been proven to fight off harmful illness causing bacteria. Examples of probiotics include yogurt, tempeh, and sauerkraut. Fermented teas like kombucha are also rich in probiotics.

Nutrition experts have recommended that if you increase your carbohydrate intake it can have a positive effect on your overall diet. Since carbohydrates give your body loads of energy per serving, it is certainly a great way to compliment your current diet. It also tends to burn off much easier than fatty foods do.

As you can see, improving your diet is not terribly difficult. Even just a step in the right direction is enough to create a lifestyle change, if you do it often enough. Try using one piece of advice from this article a day and see if you feel better.




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