Hasn’t nutrition wellness got complicated? These days, it’s all antioxidant super-foods, GI and phytonutrients and getting it all in is near-impossible. When a great deal of your time and energy is devoted to work, family, and just generally having a life, wouldn’t it be nice if having a healthy diet was a lot more simple? I say it’s time to get back to basics, and follow some straightforward rules that aren’t too taxing on your wellbeing.
1. Eliminate your intake of junk and processed foods.
I could list all the different kinds of junk foods that are bad for you, but you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s your little “treats” and secret indulgences, the stuff you hide in the kitchen and feel guilty about eating but do anyway. You may need a change of perspective; food is nutrition, not a reward, entertainment or an emotional buffer. If any of the stuff in your kitchen cupboard fits the latter descriptions, throw it out and stop buying it.
2. Fill your kitchen with good foods.
Once you’ve thrown out all that dodgy, processed junk, replace it with something more delicious and nutritious. Still, make sure the healthy alternatives you buy are things you’ll enjoy, otherwise you won’t eat them, and it’ll be a complete waste. For those times when hunger strikes, try eating different and exotic fruits and veggies to keep things interesting, as well as nuts and seeds.
3. Eat a bit less.
Dieting doesn’t have to be rocket science – just eat a bit less. This means scaling back the amount of food you’re putting on your plate when cooking at home, or even switching to a smaller plate so you’re not tempted to fill up with more. When you’re out for dinner, try ordering two appetisers instead of a main, or eat half and take the rest home in a doggy bag. That way, you eat a smaller portion and have delicious leftovers for lunch the next day.
4. Eat at home more.
While bringing home leftovers can reduce the amount of bad nutrition you put in your body, it’s far easier to skip the high levels of sodium found in restaurant food if you eat at home. Plus, eating out is littered with temptation, especially if the waitress gives you the choice between chips and salad or your friend wants to split a pudding. Eating at home allows you to plan out your meals and make healthier choices, as well as controlling the quality and quantity of the ingredients.
5. Avoid white foods.
Much like white is the absence of colour, white foods are the absence of nutritional goodness. On a scale of one to nutrition, white processed breads, bleached pastas, rice and sugar are all heading towards the minus numbers so plump for whole wheat alternatives and natural sweeteners like raw honey or date sugar.
6. Drink more water.
Instead of filling up on sugary juices and fizzy drinks, drink water throughout the day. Not only will this save you a lot of money, but it will help you to avoid the energy crash that comes along with calorie-heavy drinks. In one can of fizz there’s as many as 150 calories, so think how many unnecessary calories you can cut out if you simply replace sugary drinks with water.
7. Do some exercise.
Ok, this one isn’t strictly to do with nutrition but exercise and diet are so closely connected in terms of wellness that I couldn’t not mention it. If you don’t do anything at all, start by simply trying to move more, be it taking the stairs instead of the lift or walking to work once a week instead of driving. Then, build up to a proper exercise plan, increasing the amount or the intensity of the exercise you’re doing over time. This will compound the benefits of your new healthier diet.
