You may not realize it but how you eat can have a huge effect on your overall health. People that live on junk food tend to get sick more often, and they are opening themselves up to more health risks, like diabetes and obesity. There is a reason why junk food is called “junk,” and why experts in health and healing recommend avoiding things like fast food.
Even if you have been living on an unhealthy diet you can still make changes simply by changing the way that you eat. The first step is to know what healthy eating is, and the next step is changing your habits so that you can be healthier.
How Food Heals
Even addicts are put on a strict diet regimen when they go into rehab. Healthy foods help their bodies heal from the damage that has been caused by the drugs and/or alcohol they have been abusing. Foods rich in fruits and vegetables fill your body with nutrients and vitamins it needs to heal.
It is the vitamins and nutrients in food that heal, and know which of these do what in your body can be helpful. Antioxidants and things like zinc and vitamin C can help boost your immune system. The good fat in foods containing Omega 3 fatty acids, like nuts and avocados, are good for both heart health and brain health. By eating a wide range of healthy foods you can make sure that you get all the nutrients you need.
Changing Bad Eating Habits
It’s not that difficult to change the way you eat if you just set your mind to it. Instead of clogging your arteries with fatty meats, like hamburgers, switch to chicken based meats. You can get chicken sausage, ground chicken for burgers, and you can seriously use chicken in almost anything. Chicken tacos, chicken soup, and even chicken pizza. In fact, you can do so many things with chicken that you may never get sick of it.
Change the way you snack as well. One problem many people have with snacking is eating outside the recommended proportions. Controlling how much sugar you eat will allow you to keep eating sugar, as long as you do it in limited amounts.
Instead of junk food, like chocolate, curb a sweet tooth with fruits, like berries. If you’re craving something crunchy try celery or carrots instead of potato chips that are filled with sodium. Plus, when you snack on fruits and vegetable portions are less important!
The more vitamins and more well-rounded your healthy meals are, the healthier your body will be. Stick with whole grain, instead of bleached rice. Try cutting your dairy intake as well, or make better dairy choices, like low-fat milk or Greek yogurt.
