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There’s a wealth of research-based data that shows that a balanced diet, rich in healthy vitamins and minerals and low in saturated fats and sugars, is the ideal way for your body and mind to stay healthy and energised.
Many of us, if we’re honest, fall into some pretty bad habits when it comes to our eating habits. Over time, this can have a huge impact on our health and energy levels. Even knowing what is good for us, it’s not very easy to change.
If you’re looking for ways to change your eating habits for the long term, we’ve pulled together some basic tips to get you going.
Don’t See It As A Diet
The ‘diet’ industry is worth billions of dollars annually, but many of the products and advice aren’t particularly very helpful for long-term health. Rather than thinking of substantially changing your diet for short-term results, think of what and how you eat as a lifelong habit. It won’t seem as big of a sacrifice to you, and you can sustain it over the longer term. Many people use a meal prep service or begin batch cooking in order to have healthy food on hand rather than reach for fast food.
See Food As Fuel
Take the time to learn about nutrition and what the body needs to function effectively. Many people focus on changing their diet as a means to make a physical transformation, which is only a part of the overall picture. If you eat for health and for energy, then physical changes will come, but you’ll be less likely to go on a crash diet or something that is unsustainable and damages your health overall.
Drink Water
One of the best things you can do for your body keeps it well hydrated on a regular basis. Even if you kept your diet exactly as it was, but started drinking more water, you would see benefits. Water can give your energy, and mental clarity, reduce bloating, aid digestion and give your clearer and brighter skin.
Start upping your fluid intake as the first step in a move towards a healthy lifestyle.
Make Small Changes
It’s estimated that over 95% of people who go on a diet will either fail to reach their goal or put the weight back on relatively quickly. Most diets on the market involve huge changes to the number of calories you consume and cutting out entire food groups. It’s no wonder they fail to work. The best chance of changing your long-term habits is to incorporate better choices into your life, slowly. What you choose to do is very much dependent on your lifestyle. For example, if you are eating a lot of bread, then swapping it for wholemeal initially, is more sustainable than removing it together. Find healthier swaps for some of the unhealthier options you tend to go for. The key is to make small changes and keep making them. Over time you will notice that better choices are easier to make.
