We’ve all heard about nutrition, many of us have probably learned about the importance of a nutritious diet at school, but what does this really mean?
To nourish your body means to provide it with all the nutrients and water it needs. Without the correct nutrition, our body will find it difficult to maintain healthy body weight and run a risk of developing a chronic disease.
Nutrition can appear in all shapes and forms, it’s the end goal that is the most important: leading a healthy lifestyle. If you’re looking to gear yourself into shape this year, here are a few nutrition targets you can set and how to achieve them.
Find Your Motivation
If you want to hit all of your nutrition targets, you’ll have to find that fire in your belly. Find the inner motivation as to why you want to improve your nutrition. Do you want to lower your chances of disease? Do you want to improve your fitness? If you ever feel like slacking, you can refer back to this motivating factor.
Meatless Monday
You can still hit protein targets without consuming meat. Meatless Monday is a fantastic way to improve your personal health and the health of the planet too. Processed and red meats can be harmful to your health whereas and plant-based foods can lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation, boost kidney health, and improve your immune system.
Start Reading Grocery Labels
Achieving all of your nutrition targets starts by learning what ingredients you put into your body. You may think that your ready-made chicken Caesar wrap is a great and healthy lunch choice, but the label may say otherwise. Stay away from ingredients like sodium nitrates, hydrogenated oils, enriched wheat, and artificial food coloring.
Drink Plenty of Water Everyday
You can’t practice healthy nutrition without keeping hydrated. Water is one of the most essential nutrients and our body simply can’t function without it. It’s advised that you drink around 3.7 liters a day for men and around 2.7 fluid liters a day for women. Staying hydrated helps flush bacteria from your bladder, protect your organs, normalizes blood pressure, and aids digestion.
Experiment With New Grains Each Month
Grains are an excellent way to hit your nutritional targets. They are a great source of complex carbs, fiber, as well as vitamins, and minerals. However, not everyone is the biggest fan of grains. Try out new types and experiment with recipes. Bulgur, buckwheat, and quinoa have become increasingly popular amongst health advocates.
Nutritional Supplements
Sometimes you may need a little boost to help you along the way. Nutritional supplements are an excellent way to ensure you’re hitting all of your fitness goals. These should always be used in combination with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. If you’ve never explored this option before, check out www.steelsupplements.com here for a list of nutritional supplements to boost your health and help you achieve your fitness goals
Stick to Your Meal Plan
If you hope to hit your targets, you’ll need to stay consistent. There’s no point in sticking to a strict diet during the week to completely reverse the effects on the weekend. Treat yourself every once in a while, but don’t go overboard. If you create a fulfilling and enjoyable meal plan, there should be no reason for you not to stick with it.
Eat a Healthy Breakfast Every Day
We’ve all heard the saying before, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Start your day off with a hearty meal that will keep you energized and active. Make sure you have plenty of carbs, protein, and veggies. Stay away from sugary cereals and empty calories.
Snack on Veggies
No matter how hard we try, snacking is a sin we all indulge in. An easy way to snack without feeling guilty is by swapping out your sugary treats for a nutritional alternative. Healthy snacks include homemade kale chips, carrot, and hummus, or roasted chickpeas.
At the end of the day, everybody is different, however, they all need a basic set of nutrients in order to function. Don’t think that eating healthy and nutritiously means ditching carbs or fats. Your body needs all these seven nutrients to function on a daily basis: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water.
Remember to eat balanced meals with non-processed foods. Once you start nourishing your body with the food that it truly yearns for, you’ll notice a spike in energy levels and even a better mood. You are what you eat, so don’t waste your time eating like trash.
This post was submitted by Salvatore Presti. He is an American writer living in Italy who enjoys the fine art of living well. His interests include anything wine, food, or nature-related, especially when enjoyed with friends and family.
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