A quick search on Google will bring up myriad trending diets that claim to help people lose weight. The problem with a majority of these diets is, they aren’t very healthy. The cabbage soup diet? Baby food diet? The “five-bite” diet? Not only are many fad diets unhealthy, but some are also downright dangerous!
The truth is, eating healthy can help a person lose weight and even prevent some common chronic diseases from developing. For example, eating healthy can decrease your risk of developing high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
Here are some tips on how you can eat healthy to lose weight and feel great:
Focus on Eating Whole Foods
Your goal should really be to stop eating processed foods and start preparing your own whole foods. If your food comes in plastic or cardboard packaging, it’s not a whole food and is most likely laden with trans fats, hidden sugars, and weird chemicals you can’t pronounce.
Try eating more meats, eggs, dairy, fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds.
Pack Your Lunch
Even with the best of intentions of eating healthy, many working adults refuse to take their lunch to work with them. 12 pm rolls around and they are very hungry, which causes them to make poor food choices and get their lunch out of a vending machine or from the fast-food joint down the street. Do your best to prepare healthy lunches and bring them with you.
Combine Healthy Eating with Other Healthy Habits
To lose weight and optimize your overall health, you’ll want to combine good nutrition with healthy habits such as exercising, managing stress, and getting enough sleep. In fact, research has shown that quality sleep is just as important for disease prevention and weight management.
If you want to lose weight and be healthy in the new year, then follow these tips.
SOURCES:
Ola Smith, LMFT
(317) 376-8669 | olacounseling@gmail.com