If you are looking to make a change to your health, one of the most important aspects to focus on is your diet. The phrase “You are what you eat” carries a lot of weight (no pun intended) when it comes to your physical and emotional health. Your diet has a profound impact on your body’s biochemistry, including direct correlation to cholesterol levels, blood sugar, and triglyceride levels.
Your diet is also directly correlated to your weight, and how you carry that weight. In addition to the physical correlation, your diet also directly affects your emotional state of being. Eating a healthy diet can increase your energy levels and keep you focused. Eating healthy can also significantly boost your self-esteem since you will likely feel better about how you look. The key to any diet is discipline and consistency. This article will describe how to implement a healthy diet into your lifestyle.
How Much To Eat
No matter what dietary approach you take, it is important to remember that a diet is not just about what foods you eat, but how much you eat. Overeating can increase your chances of obesity, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and some forms of cancer. Controlling your portions can have a substantial impact on the success of your diet. It is very helpful to plan your portion sizes ahead of time and stick to them. Make sure you are getting the right balance of foods when you portion them out. Prepacked meals, such as Nutrisystem, send you meals that are portioned out already.
If you do not have the discipline to portion out your meals yourself, this can be a very viable option. While there is much emphasis on overeating, undereating can also do tremendous harm to your body. You may be thinking about all the calories you are saving when you under eat, but you are also starving your body of the nutrients and vitamins it needs to thrive. This is especially true if you are coupling your diet with any physical related activities. If you stick to a balanced diet, with controlled portions, you are headed down the right path. Most foods are fine with moderation.
What to Eat
Fad diets come and go, and new nutritional research is always published. The one approach that has withstood the test of time is eating a balanced diet. This includes a diet of fresh fish, lean meats, whole grains, fresh fruit/veggies, and legumes. You would be shocked at how many delicious meals you could make using these basic healthy ingredients. Eating healthy does not mean eating bland.
One of the common mistakes people often make when dieting, is that they assume they cannot eat foods that taste good. This could not be further from the truth. Cooking and preparing your foods may take more work that running through the local drive-thru, but they will taste amazing and have you feeling good about yourself! Continue to keep in mind that even when you are eating healthy foods, portion size is important.
Make it Convenient
Since a big part of maintaining a diet is consistency, you have to select a diet plan that provides some level of convenience. If your diet is so strict that you cannot get the foods you need regardless of where you are, then it is time to revisit your diet plan. For example, I had a friend who was trying one of the newer fad diets, and he had to jump on a plane for an unexpected business trip.
When he arrived to his destination, none of the restaurants in town could provide any dishes that met his criteria. He ended up “cheating” on his diet and had a bacon cheeseburger! Your diet should be flexible enough to allow you to try different foods, as long as they are balanced and portion controlled. Setting yourself up with flexibility is setting you up for success. Be realistic about your diet so when you are out in the real world (e.g. business trips, at a friend’s house etc.) you have options.
If you want the most convenience, then you need to explore the prepackaged meal plan options. We already discussed how these plans portion out your foods for you, but they also take the food preparation out of the equation. Getting “too busy to cook” is an easy excuse. Prepackaged plans like Nutrisystem remove that excuse and allow you to maintain your diet so you achieve your goals. Prepackaged meal plan options also provide diversity and allow you to keep delicious foods into your routine, and Nutrisystem cost is comparative to regular meal prices. This system will have you eating smaller, but more frequent meals throughout the day so your body gets the nutrients it needs, and you get the taste you deserve.