Healthy Eating and How to Stick to it

By: Laura

​When it comes to healthy eating, many people are happy to make the change but then struggle to maintain their good habits. Instead, they will eat healthily for a couple of weeks but gradually they start falling back into their old ways. Healthy eating takes sustained effort, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be enjoyable too. So, with this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the ways that you can maintain a better diet.

Prepare More of Your Own Meals
 
If you prepare your own meals, you have total control of what goes into them. A major problem that people have is eating out too often, eating bigger portions of food that is high in fat and salt. If you do eat out, you should look for specific healthy restaurants or markets to keep your healthy eating regime on track. With so much advice online about preparing healthy meals, you have a range of dishes that you can try your hand at preparing.
 
Make the Right Changes
 
Rather than just cutting unhealthy foods out of your diet altogether, it is important that you start replacing them with healthier alternatives. For example, the switch from fried chicken to grilled salmon helps you make the move from trans fats to healthy fats. If you are used to snacking during the day, you should find better options that you can have at the same time of day. Feeling hungry all the time will make it less likely for you to maintain your resolve to eat healthier on a long-term basis.
 
Practice Mindful Eating
 
Mindful eating is a technique that people practice to stop themselves from eating too much. A lot of people eat while they are distracted by things like the TV or surfing the internet. Instead of this, you should focus on the act of eating while you are doing it. This way, you will be better able to determine when you are full and you will also enjoy your meals more. Also, you should focus on how you are feeling after you finish your meal. Junk food tends to make you feel uncomfortable and drained of energy, while healthier meals should have the opposite effect.
 
Drink Enough Water
 

A lot of people who want to eat better fail to drink enough water, which is a major mistake. Water plays a big role to cleaning your system out from toxins and other waste products. The shocking thing is that many people who suffer from headaches, low energy and tiredness are simply dehydrated. As well as this, thirst is often mistaken for hunger, so staying hydrated should help you significantly in your healthy eating quest.
 
Read the Labels
 
When you are shopping, rather than throwing anything into your basket, you should check out what the food actually contains by reading the label as some manufacturers have a habit of throwing in unexpected amounts of sugar and unhealthy fats. Try to focus on buying more fresh ingredients to avoid any nasty surprises.     ​

Exercise

With every good diet there should also be a good exercise program to go with it.