Eating healthy is one of the most important things you can do for your long-term health and well-being. It’s said that eating healthy helps to keep many different diseases away from you and even helps you fight them off. People who eat healthy and nutritious foods live longer and healthier lives. Plus, eating the right foods also helps you get in shape and makes you feel better about your body.
Healthy foods provide the body with antioxidants. It can boost metabolism and help maintain healthy body weight. Remember it’s essential to choose foods that are not high in calories but are high in antioxidants and nutrients. The reason for this is, there’s a relationship between antioxidants and weight gain. For those who want to lose weight, antioxidants can also increase the metabolic rate, helping with burning calories, and assisting in weight loss.
It’s essential to be conscious of the type of food you’re eating and the amount you eat in a day to help you get in shape. You can find more healthy food sources in stores like Goodness Me! If you’re wondering which foods should be on your shopping list, here are some suggestions you can try:
- Fruits And Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are essential parts of your diet regimen, especially if you want to stay in top shape. Fruits and vegetables contain fiber which helps you to feel fuller for longer periods. So, it will help you avoid binge-eating.
Fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These elements in fruits and vegetables help to maintain healthy heart health. They also have some of the lowest amounts of fat, sodium, or cholesterol. Fruits and vegetables that contain the highest amount of fiber which provides the body with the energy it needs for optimal function. High fiber fruits and vegetables can also reduce the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.
One of the best examples of a food that provides healthy antioxidants is blueberries. Blueberries have almost twice as many antioxidants as strawberries and are considered a very healthy snack choice. It’s also an immune boosting food. They can be used to help reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, and provide the body with essential proteins and vitamin C.
- Complex Carbohydrates
Carbs are essential part of your diet because it’s your body’s energy-provider. However, it’s believed to otherwise slow down weight loss. This belief leads to the mentality that carbs are needed to be cut off from your diet when you want to stay fit. But this could be proven wrong as some carbs could help you lose weight. You might be consuming the wrong type of carbs if it increases your weight gain than help you reduce it. If you want to get in shape and have enough energy to do your workouts, you should eat complex carbs.
Complex carbs are made of sugar molecules formed in long complex chains and provide more vitamins, minerals, and fiber than the simple carbs. Simple carbs digest quickly in the body and could cause a spike in your blood glucose levels. On the other hand, complex carbs digest slower, making you feel full for extended periods.
Here are some of the foods that contain complex carbohydrates:
- Whole Grains – whole grains like buckwheat, whole-wheat, and quinoa are packed with fiber and are a good source of minerals like potassium and magnesium.
- Beans – beans are packed with fiber and are a good source of iron and folate.
- Oats – Oats are good pre-workout foods you can eat to fuel your training sessions. Oats are filled with fiber and complex carbs, and they also contain Vitamin B.
You can also get reasonable amounts of complex carbs from fruits and vegetables like bananas, apples, and broccoli.
- Protein
Protein is an excellent source of amino acids which are needed to build muscle tissue and burn fat. It’s important to add protein to your diet if you plan to stay fit.
One can quickly get protein from meats like beef, chicken, turkey, and many types of fish. It’s also possible to get protein from beans like black beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans. It’s possible to get a good amount of protein from nuts like almonds, cashews, peanuts, walnuts, and others. Soybeans are excellent source of protein and they also provide a lot of calories. It’s also possible to consume protein from hemp seeds as well.
- Good Fats
Bad fats build up inside your body and clog your arteries, causing heart disease, high cholesterol, and other health problems. Industrial-grade trans fats and hydrogenated oils create bad fats. Polyunsaturated fat is also known as omega-3 fatty acids. To maintain a healthy body, it’s advised to avoid eating bad fats and focus on good fats.
Here are some excellent fats food sources you should include in your diet:
- Avocados: Unlike other foods, avocados are packed with good fats that are beneficial for your health. It contains the fatty acid called oleic acid, which is also a predominant fatty acid found in olive oil.
- Dark Chocolate: Dark chocolates also contain 11 percent fiber and also other minerals like iron, magnesium, and manganese. It’s also rich in antioxidants.
- Fatty Fish: Fatty fishes like salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, and trout are healthy options if you want to load on good fats. These fishes contain omega-3 fatty acids that are beneficial for your heart.
- Coconuts: Coconuts and coconut oil contain medium-chain fatty acids, which are metabolized differently in the body. It helps reduce appetite and increase the fat-burning capacity of your body.
Summary
Food is an integral part of your health regimen, and to keep your body in shape, you need to watch out what you eat. To avoid gaining unwanted weight and build better eating habits, try to eat healthy foods such as whole-wheat bread, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and fish, and low-calorie dairy products. You can also get plenty of fiber and other nutrients by choosing healthy foods rich in vitamins and minerals. It’s essential to choose foods loaded with nutritional value. Make sure to consult with a dietician or nutritionist to follow a healthier diet plan for weight loss.