Old habits are difficult to change—or NOT.
Giving up bad food habits is not very difficult, especially if you make small changes, one at a time.
That is not to say going all in when making changes doesn’t work—because it does. And some people actually prefer changing everything they realize they should at the same time.
However, many people choose the longer, slower approach. And that’s right, too. Who’s to say which approach is better? You stick with what works for you.
But if you are someone who prefer longer, slower approach, this “how to eat healthy” guide is for you. It introduces you to 7 healthy diet changes.
You can adopt one change every day of the week or one change in a week or one change in a month… whichever works best for you. Making a new change only after getting completely comfortable with the previous one is a good way to go about a diet overhaul.
Here are seven steps to good health.
1. Protein is Good For Your Metabolism. Eat More of It
When it comes to protein intake, less is not more. The first change you must do is up your protein consumption.
From weight-loss point of view, protein is important on two counts. One, it boosts your metabolism. That is, it helps you burn more calories at rest.
Studies show protein-rich diet helps you burn 80 to 100 calories more per day at rest than low-protein diet.
Two, it reduces your appetite. Gram for gram, protein gives you a feeling of fullness for a longer time than carbs. In other words, after a protein-rich meal, you are likely to eat less in the next meal and eat it after a bigger time gap than you’d have done after a carbs-rich meal.
In a study, participants who consumed 30% of their daily calories from protein took 449 calories fewer per day. They also lost almost 5 kg (11 lbs) in 14 days without eating less intentionally.
Apart from aiding weight loss, protein, of course, provides several benefits, like stronger bones, increased muscle mass, and lower blood pressure.
Meat, fish, poultry, full-dairy products, and eggs are all good sources of protein. On average, you should eat 1.5 to 2.5 gm of protein per kg of your weight (or 0.7 to 0.11 gm per pound of bodyweight).
2. A Healthy Breakfast
There is no better way to welcome a new day than exercising in the morning and then eating a healthy breakfast. Even if you are not a morning exerciser, you should eat a healthy breakfast.
Many people opt for cereals or something similar as their first meal, without knowing that cereals are filled with sugar and refined carbs and so are not really healthy first thing in the morning.
Eating refined carbs and sugar (found in high amounts in all cereals) first causes your blood sugar to spike and a few hours later to crash, which is always accompanied with a strong craving for another carbs-rich meal.
A much healthier option is eggs.
In fact, eggs make up for a perfect breakfast. They are a great source of protein and a good source of healthy fats and many other nutrients.
More than one study has shown that replacing a grain-based breakfast with eggs can help you lose weight.
You can eat eggs with a fruit or vegetables. You can also have them with beacon if you want.
In case you are not an egg person, instead of eggs, have any other protein-rich food you like.
3. Eat Good Fats and Oils
There are unhealthy fats and oils and healthy ones. Which ones are you eating?
Throw unhealthy fats, including refined vegetable oils and trans fats, into trash because they are seriously unhealthy.
Stay away from anything that reads “hydrogenated” or for that matter even “partially hydrogenated”.
Also stay away from refined vegetable oils, which studies have linked to increased risk of several serious diseases, including cancer and heart disease. Examples of refined vegetable oils include cottonseed oil, soybean oil, corn oil, and others.
Instead of these, pick monosaturated or mostly saturated fats. Examples include coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil, grass-fed butter, and others.
4. Replace Refined Carbs, Modern Wheat, and Sugar with Healthier Options
Carbs, too, come in two varieties—good and bad. Which carbs are bad for you and why?
Well, refined carbs and, of course, sugar fall in the category of bad carbs. Understanding why is not so difficult. They don’t provide many nutrients and trick you into overeating, which, in turn, bring a host of health problems with it.
Modern wheat is just as bad, if not more. Introduced in the 60s, modern dwarf wheat is really a dwarf when it comes to providing nutrients. It is also much worse than traditional wheat for those with gluten sensitivity.
Coming to good carbs, there are plenty of foods that provide them, including fruits, vegetables, oats, rice, and quinoa, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and legumes, to name a few.
5. Stop Taking Fruit Juices and sugar-Sweetened Beverages
The next step in this short but precise “how to eat healthy” guide is stopping the consumption of liquid sugar calories.
Sugar is bad, but when taken in the liquid form, it is much, much worse.
The brain doesn’t register calories taken from liquids the same way as calories taken from solid foods. And the effect of this could be disastrous if you reach out for a sugary drink often.
The brain doesn’t compensate for liquid sugar calories. As a result you end up consuming more—sometimes a lot more—calories than you should.
Given this fact, it is not surprising that a study showed that children who consumed a sugary beverage each day had 60% more risk of obesity.
Remember fruit juices are just as bad as soft drinks. You should avoid them both with the same vigor.
6. Meat, Fish, and Vegetables are Good Choices for Dinner
You’ve already started to eat a healthy breakfast; now start picking the right foods for dinner as well.
Filling your dinner plate is with a meal based on fish or meat with lots of vegetables will do your health a world of good. Those who like starches should include them too.
Eating fatty fish two times a week is recommended, as they are rich in Omega-3s. Supplement with fish oil in case you don’t like or can’t eat fatty fish.
7. Finally, Eat Healthy Lunches and Snacks
For some these two are a little, or more than a little, problematic. You can cook your lunch a day before with your dinner to ensure you enjoy a healthy lunch. That is, cook your dinner in excess amounts and eat leftovers in lunch the next day.
If you often eat lunch out (and many people do this), it wouldn’t be a bad idea to jot down the names of healthy eateries.
As far snacks are concerned, they actually can be dealt easily. Eat a fruit, handful of nuts, baby carrots, or a couple of eggs whenever you feel hunger between meals.
Small positive dietary changes can help you make long-term additions to your diet. Your each meal should include, if not only, at least in large amounts, healthy, real foods.