In recent years, diets that involve drastically changing your eating patterns have become increasingly popular. While some of these diets may have positive results at first, they can also lead to other health issues down the road. Because medical professionals such as Dominique Fradin-Read emphasize the importance of eating healthy foods to age well, it is clearly a good idea to keep an eye on what you eat. Even so, there may be a way to improve your diet without all the harsh restrictions.
1. Don’t Go Cold Turkey
Eliminating something from your meals entirely is a common dieting approach for many people. Unfortunately, changing habits so suddenly and completely is often not sustainable. Instead of avoiding sugar, grains, meat or some other food altogether, try eating it less often. For instance, people with a sweet tooth may have more success with their diet if they allow themselves to have a dessert once or twice a week.
2. Be Careful About Portion Sizes
Another important tip to keep in mind is that oftentimes what you are eating is not the problem, it is the amount. Carbohydrates and fats are an essential part of the human diet, but they must be eaten in moderation. A good way to monitor portion sizes is to pre-portion meals for the week. This way, you can control how much of a recipe you eat each day.
3. Eat at Home
While eating out is frequently a fun way to socialize with other people and relax, restaurant foods may not be as healthy as the things you cook at home. Additionally, if a restaurant doesn’t provide nutritional information, it is hard to know what is in a particular dish. Staying in may help you eat fewer calories and spend less cash.
4. Bring on the Veggies
A final tip to consider is that fruits and vegetables are a great way to fill up your belly without consuming too many calories. While the thought of eating veggies is not very exciting to many people, trying a new recipe or adding additional spices may make them more enjoyable to eat.
When your days are busy and you have a lot on your mind, it is easy to fall into bad patterns. Changing a habit is a challenging process that requires dedication. Even so, you may be able to make enduring changes to your diet by making small adjustments to your daily routine.
