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Guide to Healthy Eating
Updated: Apr 18
Wanting to make healthy changes to your lifestyle or diet can be confusing and overwhelming.
Maybe you don’t know where or how to start?
When it comes to changing a diet, do you go cold turkey? Or gradually reduce the intake of unhealthy foods?
A few years ago I decided to try a plantbased diet and for me the best option was to go cold turkey and to cut out all animal products overnight.
BUT what works for me, might not necessarily work for you.
I am not suggesting you do the same and I know it might not be easy, but hopefully these few steps can bring you a bit closer to a healthier you:
INCORPORATE MORE WHOLEFOODS
WHAT ARE WHOLEFOODS?
Wholefoods are natural and unprocessed foods, meaning no nutrients has been removed and nothing "bad" is added. Eating wholefoods therefor increase your nutrient, fiber and antioxidant intake which is beneficial to your health. Foods in its purest and most natural form are always the best option.
Try to get at least 80% of your food consumption from wholefoods.
AVOID UNHEALTHY PROCESSED FOODS
WHAT ARE PROCESSED FOODS?
Processed food is food that has been altered in some form or way and may have added flavours, trans-fats, artificial ingredients, refined carbohydrates and added textures. It's technically any food that is not in its natural state.
There are different levels of processed foods and not all of them are bad.
Some products like olive oil, kimchi, sprouted seeds, sauerkraut are seen as healthy processed foods. Other examples are frozen (uncooked) vegetables, canned whole tomatoes or chickpeas and 100% almond butter with no added oils.
The difference between healthy and unhealthy depends on the added ingredients:
It's the unhealthy and heavily processed foods we should try to stay away from:
Examples of these are:
some meat products such as sausages and cold sandwich meats
sweetened breakfast cereals
white bread
low-fat milk and low-fat yoghurts
some savoury snacks like crisps and artificially flavoured snacks
cakes and biscuits
Sweets
bottled salad dressings
most ready meals and frozen pizzas
soft drinks and energy drinks
fruit juices made from concentrate
canned fruits in syrups
Processed foods unfortunately often have important nutrients removed during the process and preservatives are added to prolong the shelf life, to balance to the flavours or simply to make the food taste better. Consuming too many of these additives and preservatives may lead to serious health issues like obesity, diabetes, heart diseases and high blood pressure.
BE AWARE OF WHAT YOU PUT INTO YOUR BODY - ALWAYS READ THE LABEL
Anyone who is looking to improve their healthy food intake should be aware of additives and added sugars in foods. Try to always read the ingredients list on the label.
Let's use sugar as an example.
Did you know that there are about 50 different names/types of sugars?
Examples of these are dextrose, fructose, glucose, maltose, corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate and maltodextrin.
In many cases, you may be consuming a lot more sugar than you realise which in the long run can have a bad impact on your health.
It might surprise you how many "healthy" breakfasts cereals and yoghurts actually have a rather large amount of sugar added. Most low-fat products have sugar added to improve their taste and consistency. Yes, they might be lower in fat, but the sugar level might be higher than that of the full-fat product.
If you compare labels of certain fruit juices vs soft drinks you might find that some fruit juices (especially ones made from concentrates) might have equal or more sugars then a soft drink.
Naturally one would presume the fruit juice would be the healthier option, right? Best to read the label!
Now, I am not saying don’t eat anything with sugar, but rather be aware of how much sugar you do consume.
The same goes for sodium (salt). It might be that you don't necessarily add a lot of salt to your food but processed foods often have salt added to preserve and extend their shelf life. Maybe look for low-sodium or reduced-sodium food products.
Again, I am not saying that you shouldn't eat these foods, but be aware of what and how much you do consume.
The other problem is that there are often so many ingredients added, most of which one can't even pronounce.
The general rule for me is if I can't pronounce it, it's probably NOT good for you.
The less ingredients in the product, the better.
In this case less certainly is more.
SO WHERE DO I START?
Let's work with another example:
You baked some fresh scones and now you want to buy a strawberry jam to have with them. Start by comparing a few different brands. Compare the ingredients lists and the breakdown of the nutritional value. Choose the one with less ingredients, with a higher nutritional value and with less sugars.
If you want to take it one step further, try making your own jam at home. There are many easy, healthier recipes and this way you will know exactly what and how much has been added.
Why not try this easy chia jam recipe.
DRINK A LOT OF WATER
You have probably heard this over and over, but keeping the body hydrated is very important.
About 60% of our body is made of water and is therefor essential to maintain bodily functions and balance the body fluids. Water helps keeping our skin healthy, it delivers oxygen and nutrients throughout the body and lubricates our joints.
Water may also help us control our weight. If you feel like snacking, maybe have a glass of water or a cup of tea first. Your body might confuse thirst with hunger. It might surprise you how often you might just be thirsty instead of hungry.
If you find drinking tasteless water too boring try adding some fresh ingredients to your water. A few orange or lemon slices, cucumber, mint, fresh or frozen berries or maybe some fresh ginger slices will add some flavour.
I personally love crushed strawberries, a few lime slices and some fresh mint leaves.
Adding flavour to water might make it easier to drink more water.
SNACKING
Most of us like to snack, me included.
Do you also have that special space in your cupboard where we keep a few naughty treats? some crisps? or maybe a slab of dark chocolate?
Instead of grabbing that pack of crisps or sweets maybe have a handful of grapes, watermelon pieces, a few dates or apple slices with cinnamon or nut butter.
A homemade smoothie or smoothie bowl is also a great option - simply throw a few pieces of fresh/frozen fruits, some leafy greens, some liquid and a few ice cubes into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Yum!
Or try one of these healthy sweet treats:
For a salty snack, maybe opt for the heathier option by making a quick batch of homemade popcorn sprinkled with a bit of salt, nutritional yeast or other spices like Za-atar. Plus that smell of popcorn is so good!
Happy healthy snacking!
For a salty snack, maybe opt for the heathier option by making a quick batch of homemade popcorn sprinkled with a bit of salt, nutritional yeast or other spices like Za-atar. Plus that smell of popcorn is so good!
Happy healthy snacking!
I hope this information is helpful for you!
Try these steps and see if this works.
Remember:
IT'S PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION!
love and good health,
Disclaimer: I am not a health expert, and all my information is based on research and personal experience. Please consult your doctor or a nutritionist for more detailed information, especially if pregnant or nursing.
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