Eating smart is about getting the right combination of nutrients for optimal brain and body functioning. Doing so will allow you to be at your best both mentally and physically.
Make a concerted effort to incorporate foods that provide protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals into your diet while limiting foods high in saturated fat and added sugars.
Make gradual improvements to your diet over time by making small changes, such as switching from soda to water, selecting grilled foods over fried ones and including extra veggies in meals.
1. Eat a Variety of Nutrient-Dense Foods
Consuming a wide array of nutrients is crucial to good health. Your body relies on thousands of chemical reactions for proper functioning, many of which require nutrients like vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fats for proper functioning.
Nutrient-dense foods contain an abundance of essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants per calorie consumed, while also offering moderate healthy fat content with little or no trans or saturated fat, sodium or added sugar content. Common examples include fruits, vegetables, whole grains beans fatty fish nuts.
2. Get More Physical Activity
Physical activity has proven its worth as an aid for better health, with 150 minutes of moderate physical activity required each week according to the Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee’s reconfirmation of that figure in 2018.
Finding an activity you enjoy is essential for overall well-being and physical activity. Sneak physical activity into your daily routine by riding your bike to work, walking to the bus stop early and getting off one stop early, parking in the back lot instead of using an elevator and taking stairs instead of an elevator – starting slowly will allow your endurance to build as time goes on.
3. Eat a Balanced Diet
Eating a balanced diet provides your body with essential nutrients it requires for proper functioning. A well-rounded diet should contain limited processed food items and should focus on providing more nutrient-rich options like complex carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins.
A healthy diet should include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products as the foundation. Furthermore, added sugars, sodium (salt) and saturated and trans fats should be limited; doing so can lower obesity, heart disease and blood pressure risks as well as help lower the chances of type 2 diabetes development.
4. Drink Plenty of Water
Water is one of the body’s most vital nutrient needs, helping regulate temperature, flush toxins from our system, improve circulation and transport essential nutrients throughout.
Staying hydrated not only increases energy but can also reduce allergy and asthma symptoms, making staying hydrated especially important during hot weather and high-intensity exercise. Drinking sufficient fluids is particularly important in hot environments or during periods of intense training.
Make drinking water a priority and keep a reusable water bottle with you wherever you go. Add cucumber, mint or berries as interesting add-ins for more interest, setting an aim for how much water to drink each day.
5. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is essential to overall wellness, as lack of restful slumber can contribute to high blood pressure, weight gain and depression. Aiming to sleep between six and nine hours nightly will help ensure better restful slumber. For maximum efficiency when trying to achieve that goal, set an alarm clock or timer at the same time each night; try going to bed and waking up at the same time, avoid large meals or caffeinated beverages in the evening, and turn off electronic devices 20 minutes prior to going to bedtime.
Staying active during the daytime hours and gaining exposure to light can also help foster good sleeping patterns.
6. Stay Hydrated
Hydration provides energy, boosts brain and heart function, and decreases the need for unhealthy convenience foods. Aim to consume six to eight glasses of water each day.
Select water, lower-fat milk and decaf unsweetened tea over sugary soft drinks and fruit juices (which contain added sugar). Eat foods rich in water such as fruits, vegetables soup broths or low sodium broths for optimal hydration levels and to reduce risk of disease and early death. Studies have revealed that those who drink the most water have lower serum sodium levels which could potentially decrease disease risks or early mortality risks.
7. Reduce Stress
Many people turn to food as a form of emotional and stress relief. Unfortunately, stress eating typically doesn’t address the source of their discomfort and often leads to overeating.
Keep a food journal to identify emotional eating patterns. Additionally, planning ahead by cooking meals for the week and freezing any extras can save both time and money while helping prevent uncontrollable overeating.
9. Eat a Balanced Diet
Eating healthily is key to overall wellbeing. Your body and brain run on fuel, and consuming processed foods may leave you feeling fatigued and lacking energy.
Make healthy eating part of your routine by selecting foods from all five food groups in recommended amounts, while minimizing salt and saturated fat intake. When shopping, look for lean meats, eggs, whole grains and vegetables; an appropriate portion for meat could be around the size of a deck of cards.
10. Practice Self-Care
Exercise, meditation and therapy can all help reduce stress levels while improving physical health, mental wellbeing and emotional stability.
Social self-care means maintaining relationships with family and friends through calls, video calls or in-person visits.
Intellectual self-care activities may include reading, playing games or enrolling in classes. Or it could simply involve setting goals such as creating a weekly meal plan or agreeing to run three times each week for 30 minutes at least three times each time.
