Increase Your Health by Eating More Effectively!
Overview
One page handout identifying fourteen strategies for young adults to eat more healthfully.
Increase Your Health by Eating More Effectively handout
Increase Your Health by Eating More Effectively!
We are what we eat! You cannot run a high-performance car on bad fuel...the same holds true for your body. If you want to maintain your health for many years, you need to maintain healthy eating habits as well. Listed below are several methods to optimize your health through a better diet. This is not a 'crash program,' but comprehensive steps to help you be a healthier and feel better. Try one modification at a time, or several at once, whatever you are comfortable with...you'll feel the difference!
One: Eat a good breakfast
Don't try to go through the day on an empty stomach! Get into the habit of eating a balanced breakfast which include high-carbohydrate foods (such as oatmeal, cereals, bagels, or toast) in addition to seasonal fruit. It will give you energy throughout the day.
Two: Drink more water
Drink at least one big glass of water in the morning, in addition to every meal, and in the evening rather than just coffee or soda. Drinking water though out the day also assures your body having enough fluids.
Three: Eat more raw vegetables and fruit
Fruits and vegetables help you meet your daily carbohydrate need and increase needed fiber. Green vegetables such as broccoli are especially nutrient-rich while orange or red vegetables and fruits, such as carrots or cantaloupe, are great sources of beta-carotene.
Four: Moderate your carbohydrate intake
The most readily available source of energy for our bodies are carbohydrates such as breads, bagels, rice, pastas and potatoes. By moderating your intake of whole-grain carbohydrates, you will increase your body's energy reserves while supplying your body an excellent low-fat food.
Five: Eliminate or reduce alcohol consumption
Excess alcohol is a poison, and the body will work overtime to expel it, causing dehydration, which will eventually hurt your health and well-being. Important Fact: One night of binge drinking reduces your ability to think abstractly (math, physics, social science courses) for up to 30 days!
Six: Eliminate artificial sweeteners from your diet
Artificial sweeteners known as 'Saccharin' and 'NutraSweet', which are found in most diet sodas and no-sugar foods, constricts blood flow throughout your body and brain, and might cause headaches if consumed in excess.
Also lessen your consumption of high-fructose corn syrup found primarily in processed foods and sugary drinks, as our bodies cannot property metabolize this cheap additive, and a primary cause of obesity/belly fat.
Seven: Eat fewer highly sweetened foods
Added sugars, such as sucrose, might cause your body to produce too much insulin, which can cause hypoglycemia or low blood sugar and leave you feeling weak.
Eight: Reduce caffeine intake
Caffeine and other stimulants 'rev' up your nervous system needlessly and cause dehydration while disrupting your concentration and sleeping patterns, influencing your daily and academic performance. Limit your consumption and avoid becoming dependent on the 'rush' of caffeine.
Nine: Limit salt intake Most the salt we need each day is in the food we eat, especially if it is mostly from restaurant or processed foods. Try to avoid adding salt as too much will dehydrate and make it difficult for the body to pass nutrients to your muscles.
Ten: Eliminate carbonated sodas
Some soda drinks contain as much as eleven teaspoons of simple sugar per can, in addition to large amounts of caffeine. Such large amounts of sugar can spike your insulin levels, while large amounts of caffeine can interact with the body’s ability to absorb calcium, which could reduce bone strength/density.
Eleven: Reduce high-fat dairy products
While low-fat milks and yogurts are good for you in limited quantities, dairy products can contain high levels of fat. Avoid full milk, soft cheese, and ice cream. 1% milk is best for use on most cereals and in drinks.
Twelve: Limit intake of preservatives and artificial food colorings
Food additives and colorings are common in most processed foods and may be linked to reducing the efficiency of the brain and nervous system. Read food labels!
Thirteen: Reduce the intake of fats
Excess fat in the diet slows your metabolism making you sluggish and making training more difficult. High-fat diets have also been linked to heart disease, stroke, cancer, and other ailments. Fat in excess can also increase your body fat and weight.
Fourteen: Limit red meat in your diet
Most Americans eat far more red meat than necessary to be healthy. Red meat is the main culprit of our fat intake, and a source of steroids and antibiotics which in the long run could be harmful to our bodies.
Citation: Adapted from Speed Dynamics; American Institute of Sport, and handouts from Bob Rush