Drink More Water!
Skip sugary sodas, energy drinks, and choose water instead!
If you need a bit more pizazz in your beverages, try sparkling water or
flavored seltzer – all the flavor and fizz without the calories. Diet soda
drinkers beware – although your drink may not have any calories, the sweeteners
used in diet drinks can still negatively impact your diet by making you crave
more sugar later. If you need an energy boost, brew some tea or coffee – both
have enough caffeine to get you through an afternoon slump without adding sugar
to your diet – just remember to skip the cream and sugar (or use them
sparingly).
Check the Sodium!
Although salt won’t add to your calorie count, it can still
wreck your health when consumed in large quantities by contributing to
hypertension. When you are at the grocery store or a restaurant, remember to
use Bon’App to check which food has the least salt when all other things are
equal. You may be surprised by how much salt can be found in bread, canned
foods, and frozen dinners.
Get your vitamins from food, not pills!
Recent research suggests that vitamins taken in pill form are not as beneficial as those from
fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. Although the pills may contain the same
amount of the vitamins themselves, they lack the enzymes and antioxidants which
help metabolize vitamins and support general health. Skip the pills, unless
they are prescribed by your doctor due to a specific deficiency, and increase
your fresh food intake instead.
Moderation is key!
You can survive without chocolate, but would you really want
to? You shouldn’t have to completely give up your favorite foods in the name of
health, but don’t overindulge either. An occasional square of high quality dark
chocolate can be good for your heart and make binging on junk food less likely
– you deserve to be picky about your indulgences! Savor every bite, and you
won’t have to eat as much to fulfill your craving.
Spice up your life!
Instead of flavoring your food with salt and sugar, try
using more spices in your cooking. A dash of cinnamon adds dimension to black
coffee or oatmeal, smoked paprika makes meat more savory without added fat, and
lemon pepper flavors fish without adding unnecessary salt. Experiment with
spices, and you may even find that you need less food to feel full – complexly
flavored food will satisfy you sooner. And don’t forget that some spices can
help boost up your metabolism and even lower insulin levels! (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/spicy-food-boost-metabolism/story?id=14290620#.UEDf3WhAZ90
)
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