As more and more people become interested in longevity, there is an intense new focus on the role that nutrition plays in the overall health of one’s body. There are some well understood nutritional facts that are helping people dramatically improve their well-being.
Be aware of how many nutrients are lost in the processing of your food. A whole-grain wheat bread is a much better choice than a multi-grain processed bread, for example. Even items that seem to be high in good foods, such as a bowl of vegetable soup, are not as healthy as an unprocessed counterpart.
To be sure that your body is getting its nutritional requirements met, you need to hedge your bet with a good multivitamin. This is effective because, whilst it’s much better to get your vitamins and minerals from natural food sources, having the ‘insurance’ of a multi-vitamin means that, if for whatever reason at some point you don’t get enough of some vitamin from your normal diet, you’re still covered.
Moderate your alcohol intake. Sugary calories, which are abundant in alcoholic drinks, are easily converted to fat stored in your body. Also, when there is alcohol in your body, it causes your liver to work overtime to process it and burn fat. Excess alcohol intake can cause many threatening health conditions.
To improve the function of your liver, include plenty of tryptophan in your diet. Tryptophan is an amino acid that helps your body synthesize various proteins. It is essential to the production of niacin, which boosts liver health. Foods rich in tryptophan include salmon, turkey, and watercress. Tryptophan can also reduce anxiety levels.
When trying to add the nutrition of grains to your diet, be sure to read package labels carefully. Products that claim to contain nutritious grains may not be providing the whole grain that is essential for good nutrition. Look for the words “whole grain” on the label to make sure you are making the most nutritious choice for your body.
If you have only tried a certain fruit or vegetable once in your life, reconsider your approach to seasonal produce like pomegranates, sweet potatoes, grapes, and pears. When seasonal fruits and veggies are found in the store during their off-season, there’s a good chance that they will not taste as juicy and delicious as they do when grown during their natural season.
One way to ensure that your cabinets are filled with only nutritious and low-fat foods is by taking the extra time to carefully consider each item on your regular shopping list. Before you go shopping for groceries, think about whether each product has a healthier or reduced-fat alternative, or if you should even purchase it in the first place.
If you are at work, try keeping some single-serving packages of crackers, fruit, peanut butter, soup or tuna fish in your desk. That way if you ever need a quick lunch or an easy snack, you don’t have to buy something unhealthy or get a snack from the vending machine.
Switch to natural, unrefined sea salt. Most table salt has been heat processed to remove beneficial trace minerals and bleached to produce a bright white color. Not only that, but it often contains anti-caking agents and sugar as well. Natural, unrefined sea salt, on the other hand, is taken directly from the earth and is sold with the beneficial trace minerals intact. Unlike bleached, processed table salt which has been shown to raise blood pressure, unrefined sea salt has actually been shown to lower blood pressure by providing your body with the trace minerals that it needs. Not only that, but it tastes great too.
Prepackaged foods should be the exception not the rule. Make your food from raw ingredients. Even boxed dinners that require you to add your own meat or other ingredients still contain heavily processed ingredients and spices. Look up some tasty recipes on line and commit to making four of them a week for dinners.
When it comes to nutrition, you want to make sure you are constantly keeping an eye on the latest information available to you. With science always learning new things about what is healthy and unhealthy for you, you want to try your best to always, be informed. You never know, something that you think could be helping you today could actually end up harming you in the future, so try your best to stay informed.
One of the best ways to keep track of what you are actually putting into your body is a food journal. There are many applications for smart phones that can help you with this. If you aren’t tech savvy all you need is a notebook and a pen and you can start writing what you have been eating.
Make dessert healthy too. Instead of chocolate cake, try raspberries dipped in chocolate. Instead of ice cream bars, opt for homemade ice cream with real strawberries. Remember that healthy foods don’t have to be boring and they can be very tasty! Your nutritious foods will be delicious and feel like a real treat, making you want to eat them.
Take advantage of great prices on bags of lemons and limes by making your own homemade lemonade or limeade. Made with honey, these drinks are both refreshing and incredibly nourishing. The citrus fruit provides generous amounts of vitamin C, and the honey provides B vitamins and boosts your immune system.
An easy way to improve your diet is to focus on a greater variety of foods and flavors. Instead of carbohydrates, try adding a vegetable you don’t eat often, or have some fruit. Try not to eat the same thing twice in one day and focus on eating things with vegetables that are uncommon in your diet.
In conclusion, if you want to live a long and healthy life, nutrition must play a role. What foods go into your body do matter to the length and quality of your life. The science of nutrition provides invaluable insight into the building blocks of your body, and how to maximize their potential.
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