You should eat many different kinds of protein each week. Choose lean meats, skinless poultry and fish. Use eggs as a protein source. Researchers have learned that one egg a day has no negative effect on health. Have a meatless day at least once a week. Use beans, peas, nuts, seeds or peanut butter in your meals instead.
Older people should increase water intake. An older adult needs to drink at least 8 cups of water a day. Your body tends to become dehydrated more quickly that that of someone younger, and sometimes the signs of dehydration aren’t quickly obvious. Also, try to avoid caffeine, as it can make your body lose water.
In learning about nutrition, you will need to choose between two approaches. One approach bases its findings entirely on studies of the physical body. The other also includes the mind or spirit as a factor. It says that we transmute, to some degree, the physical substances we take in–in accord with our mental or spiritual state.
Take time to plan and portion out nutritious snacks ahead of snack time. When you do not plan snacks ahead of time, you are more likely to eat the first thing that looks good to you in between meals. Portioning out snacks into proper serving sizes in plastic bags ahead of time helps make you mindful of how much you are eating.
Another very important nutrient in your diet is potassium. It is very important for nerve signal transduction, urination and sweating. Good sources of potassium include, bananas, oranges, dried apricots and soybeans. It is also a frequent salt replacement for people who are on low-salt diets. Make sure you get enough potassium!
Instead of using crackers or bread crumbs in recipes that call for them, try using an equal amount of rolled oats. Rolled oats can even be bought in uncontaminated gluten-free varieties, making them an excellent option for restricted diets. Oats are low in calories and high in protein, helping you feel full for longer.
Many people think that by skipping a meal, they are eating less calories and will therefore lose weight more quickly. The truth is, by cutting out too many calories, the body goes into starvation mode, conserving fat and slowing the metabolism to conserve energy! Bottom line: you have to eat to lose weight!
When considering a diet that provides an adequate nutrition level, it is important to know what your daily calorie intake should be and to adjust your portions accordingly. The range of calories that you need depends on your sex, age, weight, and level of activity on a normal day. Many nutritional sites will provide this information for you after plugging in your information.
When ordering out, avoid unhealthy side dishes. These may seem like a delicious thing that may appear harmless, but many are loaded with calories and fat and grease, despite their tasty exteriors. Stick to healthier options like fruit, veggies and salads. Just make sure not to use unhealthy oils and fattening dressings.
Try buying your fruits and vegetables at a farmer’s market near you. Not only do locally-grown foods have a minimal impact on the environment, but they are also better for you, since small farms generally use less harmful chemicals. It’s fun to walk around and sample all the delicious fruits and vegetables. Converse with the farmers to ensure you know exactly where and how the food was produced.
Here’s a scary one. Have you ever wondered why dogs only live 10 to 15 years while humans live typically 60 years or more? It all lies within our cells and our metabolism where oxygen plays a big part. Oxygen moves energy throughout our cells breaking the carbs we consume into energy. The problem is, oxygen also breaks down our cells in the same process. This is called “oxidation.” But our cells also have a buffer against the oxygen, these are called “antioxidants” and are prevalent in fruits and veggies.
Dogs have faster metabolisms than humans, which breaks down energy quicker and pumps much more oxygen into the cells. The cells die faster because of oxidation. Dogs also don’t or can’t eat many fruits and veggies, which carry those all important antioxidants.
While humans have slower metabolisms, you can actually speed yours up almost to the speed of a dog’s, simply by eating pure sugar, which the body converts to energy almost immediately. Pure sugar is a high energy carb. Cells turn the sugar into energy, but harm the cells in the process. Cells take time to grow back and they don’t grow back indefinitely! So if you want to live a longer life, eat lots of fruits and veggies and keep away from the pure sugar!
Now that you know a little more about nutrition, you can see that it’s not very difficult to stay properly nourished. There are many foods out there with great health benefits and many ways that you can stay as healthy as possible, just by simply making a few changes. Use these tips to help balance your nutrition.