It’s almost impossible to be truly healthy if you don’t understand and appreciate the basic principles of nutrition. You must be able to interpret labels and ingredients and to identify whether a product is overly processed. Most folks do not like paying the prices that come on organic store shelves, but regular grocers do have some organic produce.
When choosing foods for optimal nutrition, pick food items that are as close to their natural state as possible. The best choice is fresh, organic foods, but anything that can reduce the amount of cooking or chemicals in your food will be good for your body.
Protein is a daily requirement you do not want to neglect. Proteins are important to maintain and build muscles, blood, skin and organs. Protein is also crucial to maintaining your metabolism and repairing your muscles. Protein also gives your body the strength it needs to protect itself against disease. Some foods that contain protein are fish, meats, tofu, poultry, legumes, grains, and milk products.
Riboflavin is an important nutrient and should be included in a healthy diet. This is something that helps your body to turn carbohydrates, fat and protein into energy that your body uses to stay active. It regulates the metabolism and helps the body distribute iron, too. Whole-grain and enriched cereal products have plenty of riboflavin, as do dairy products.
Lean Meat
When choosing a diet, be sure it provides proper nutrition, and make sure you eat around 8oz. of lean meat daily. This ensures that you regularly get enough protein and iron to look and feel your best. Lean meat options include bison, venison, and fish.
Try and cut out as much salt from your diet as possible. Most fast foods are chock full of salt. Once you begin cutting back on salt, you’ll be more aware of it. As a result, the salty snacks you used to love will become unpalatable. You will start craving them less.
Pick dark chocolate over white or milk chocolate. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids that can reduce blood pressure. These flavonoids also help with cholesterol by reducing your LDL levels while increasing your HDL levels. Dark chocolate can help you remember: studies have shown that chocolate with 70 percent cocoa or more can help your blood pressure the most. While it may be exciting to learn that dark chocolate has health benefits, that doesn’t give one free reign to go overboard with this food that is high in calories.
Fueling your body with nutritious foods is easier than you may think. Whether you choose to purchase healthier options in the store or even grow your own, you have so many viable options. You can grow strawberries and tomatoes in containers, and patio gardening can yield a shocking amount of beans and peppers, even lettuce.
