Healthy Eating Tips

1. Healthy Eating Tips

2. Synopsis • Losing Weight on a 1,500 Calorie Meal Plan • You Do Not Have to Diet, Maintain A Balanced Diet Instead • Eat Healthy To Prevent Cardiovascular Diseases • Healthy Meal Plan - Best Tips for Healthy Eating • Never Starve Again During a 1200 Calories Diet • Creating a Healthy Diet Meal Plan • A 1,200 Calorie Non-Starving Diet Plan • Lose Weight The Healthy Way: 1200 Calorie Meal Plan • Eating Healthy: 5 Tips to Meet Your Daily Nutritional Requirements • 3 Reasons Why You Should Have a Healthy Diet Meal Plan • 1500 Calorie diet – Lose Weight Without Starving Yourself • How Healthy Eating Prevents Obesity

3. Losing Weight on a 1,500 Calorie Meal Plan • Get Proteins • Weight loss is found to be assisted with an increase in protein intake. Increase the protein intake to make up for 30% of your calories and you will be able to reduce the total intake of calories you are taking in over the entire course of the day. This is because proteins make you feel full and keep you full for longer. They also take a long time to digest so you won't have a craving to eat something again in a short while. Chicken, fish, beef, turkey, tofu and pork are good sources of meat. • Healthy Fats • While fats have a bad reputation when it comes to weight loss, not all fats are bad in nature. In fact, including saturated and polyunsaturated fats to your diet can help you in losing weight and also help in keeping it off. Thus, get about 225-300 calories of nutrition from healthy fat sources. These include nuts such as hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds, seeds such as sunflowers, pumpkin, chia and flaxseeds and other food products such as olive and coconut oil, avocado and fish like anchovies and salmon. • Vegetables and Fruits • It is important to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables even when you are following a 1,500 calorie diet plan. These fruits and vegetables will not only make you feel full but will also provide you with the necessary water you need for healthy functioning of your body. In addition, make sure you drink plenty of water as it helps in digestion go food and also eliminates toxins from your body. • Be Careful with the Carbs • Too many carbohydrates are the main reason you are not losing weight. Therefore, you need to be careful about your carbs intake. Carbohydrates should not exceed 40% of your total calorie intake for a day. This makes it around 600 calories of carbs.

4. You Do Not Have to Diet, Maintain A Balanced Diet Instead • Whole grains: • This includes whole wheat bread, pasta, cereal etc. to purchase a whole wheat food staple look for the word “whole” or “whole grain” on the packaging of the product. • Fruits and Vegetables: • Fruits and vegetables have an abundance of vitamins, fibre, and minerals present within them, because of which nutritionists recommend having approximately 4 – 5 cups of this food group every day. • Protein • The protein-rich fruits also contain hefty amounts of iron, zinc, magnesium, and zinc. Food sources that include generous amounts of protein are fish, eggs, beans, nuts, and soya. • Dairy • Calcium-rich foods such as milk, yoghurt, and cheese are highly rich in calcium. If you wish to keep its usage to a minimum buy low-fat dairy products. • Fats • There are the good fats (unsaturated fats such as avocado and fish) and the bad fats (saturated fats like cream and fried food). The unsaturated fats are important for brain health, energy, skin, hair, and joints.

5. Eat Healthy To Prevent Cardiovascular Diseases • Healthy eating protects the heart from damage, whereas unhealthy eating contains fats that clog your arteries and prevent the heart from receiving adequate blood supply for optimal functioning. When the symptoms are severe, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. Your doctor can properly diagnose the condition, identify symptoms, devise an appropriate treatment plan, and guide you regarding diet and exercise to take care of yourself. • When your dietary regimen includes saturated fats, sugar, salt and cholesterol, you run a higher risk of suffering from heart diseases. High cholesterol levels or bad cholesterol – LDL – leads to the formation of plaques and clogs arteries. If you are overweight or obese, there is a higher likelihood of developing a heart condition. Sedentary lifestyle or lack of physical activity also puts you at risk of heart attacks. • Eating health can effectively reduce your risks of obesity, coronary heart diseases, LDL cholesterol and high blood pressure. Healthy food also provides your body with the necessary nutrients that are required every day. You are in a better position to recover from heart conditions or cardiac arrest if you eat well. It’s tricky to change your eating habits because old habits die hard. The key is to take small steps every day to reduce your cravings for junk food.

6. Healthy Meal Plan - Best Tips for Healthy Eating • Include Starchy Carbohydrates to Your Diet • About one-third of the food you eat should come from starchy carbohydrates. It is important to include at least one starchy food with all your main meals. It is also recommended to choose wholegrain varieties as they keep you fuller for longer as they have a rich quantity of fibre in them. It is important to keep an eye on the amount of fat you add to the starchy carbohydrates when you are cooking them as it can lead to an increase in the overall calorie content. • Include a Lot of Fruits and Vegetables to Your Daily Diet • As per the experts, it is important to include at least five portions of vegetables and fruits to your daily diet. It might sound easy, but doing this practically can be an issue. The best thing to do is add fruits and vegetables to your regular meals. Chop a banana over your morning cereal or add some fresh strawberries. Swap your snacks for fruits or vegetable salads. It is important to note that fruit juices cannot make up enough for eating fruits. Therefore, you should not swap fruit and vegetables smoothies for their fresh counterparts. • Add Fish to Your Diet • Not only do fish contain a lot of proteins, but is also a rich source of many minerals and vitamins. You should eat fish at least twice each week. You should also include a portion of oily fish to your diet as it is rich in omega 3 fats and can be really helpful to prevent heart diseases. • Cut Down on Sugar and Fats • While our body does need some amount of sugar and fats to work properly, overdoing it can lead to serious health issues. Eating too much saturated fat can lead to an increase in blood cholesterol which further causes heart issues. Thus, you should include more of unsaturated fats in your diet in replacement of saturated ones.

7. Never Starve Again During a 1200 Calories Diet • One thing you need to keep in mind that you do not skip on any meals since it can lead to feelings of severe hunger as you reach your next meal and you might cross the 1200 calorie limit. • You can divide your plan to consuming 2 150 calorie snacks and then 3 300 calorie meals. The two snack a day plan would fit you if you have been notorious for consuming a lot more calories than this diet recommends. If you are not fond of snacking then you go about consuming 400 calories each meal, or you can adjust your meal calories according to what time of the day you feel the least and most hungry. For example, some people do not feel as famished during breakfast as they do during lunchtime. So you can eat a little less during breakfast and include the calories carrying forward from breakfast into your lunch. • Each meal of yours should have 1 – 3 ounces of whole grains, 1-3 ounces of protein, and a cup of vegetables. The proteins are the core of this diet. They will help your body stay healthy internally without letting it react violently to the sudden change of the calories intake. It keeps the blood sugar stable (which causes cravings) and it helps maintain your muscle mass which heavily contributes to your metabolic rate.

8. Creating a Healthy Diet Meal Plan • Breakfast • This is the most important meal of the day. It is best to consume food that provides energy to keep you energized at the start of the day. Include fiber and protein in your breakfast and add in a fresh fruit as well. • Morning Snack • This is optional, especially if you have had a large breakfast since you would most probably not be hungry. However, if you feel hungry a few hours before lunch, you can add a light morning snack in your diet. For instance, you can eat a handful of nuts or slices of carrots or apples. • Lunch • Pack a healthy sandwich for lunch. You can also eat a veggie salad or have soup to keep your energy levels up. • Afternoon Snack • Again, this snack is optional but it is best to have a small healthy snack if you feel hungry as this will prevent you from overeating at dinner. • Dinner • This is the meal in which it is super easy to overeat. Divide your plate in four portions – one for protein or meat source, one for starch and the other two for veggies or a salad.

9. A 1,200 Calorie Non-Starving Diet Plan • Breakfast • Having a healthy breakfast is necessary to start your day on a healthy note. You need to take whole-grains, fibres, vegetables and fruits, as well as proteins form a lean source. You can go for a scrambled egg white with some cherry tomatoes on top of a whole grain toast and gulp it down with a glass of orange juice. This is just a sample of how you can mix and match food to get the required amount of nutrition and calories. • Lunch • Add vegetables to your lunch that are rich in fibre. You can take them in the form of fresh salads. Also add some amount of protein to your lunch such as a piece of grilled chicken, canned tuna etc. The salad can be dressed with olive oil and lemon juice and you are good to go. You can also add some fruits to the lunch to make you feel refreshed. • Dinner • Ideally, your dinner should be around 400 calories. Thus, even if you are eating out, keep a look out on the calories. You can opt for a side of grilled protein keeping salad as the main dish. Do not indulge in eating any fried stuff, too much cheese or any heavily sauced entrées.

10. Lose Weight The Healthy Way: 1200 Calorie Meal Plan • In this meal plan, you can consume two snacks and three meals every day. Let’s have a look at the breakdown of calories to give you a better idea: • Breakfast – 1 fruit or vegetable + 1 protein • Lunch – 1 leafy greens and vegetables + 1 protein • Snack – 1 vegetable or fruit + 1 protein • Dinner 2 leafy greens and vegetables + 1 grain or starch + 1 protein • Snack – 1 fruit • This way your meals are strategically spaced out all through the day to prevent you from experiencing hunger pangs and ensuring you keep your energy levels up. You can make changes and adjustments as required, for instance eliminating the night snack and having a mid-morning snack instead.

11. Eating Healthy: 5 Tips to Meet Your Daily Nutritional Requirements • Include Vegetables and Fruits • Vegetables and fruits are essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They are an important source of providing energy to the body. Most vegetables and fruits are low in fat and calories. • They serve as suppliers of nutrients like vitamins, fibre, potassium and folic acid. They are effective for maintaining healthy blood pressure and reduce cholesterol. It is imperative that half of your meal constitutes of vegetables and fruits so that the requirements of the body are fulfilled adequately. • Protein Plate • Proteins are an imperative source of energy in the body. They can be acquired through food items like beef, pork, chicken, turkey, eggs, nuts, and beans. Protein is essential for every part of the body, be it building and repairing of tissues, or maintenance of your body muscles, bones, skin and even blood. • Protein is a micronutrient and is required by the body in a lesser amount. Therefore, you need to keep protein a regular part of your meal but less in quantity.

12. Eating Healthy: 5 Tips to Meet Your Daily Nutritional Requirements • Seafood Twice a Week • Seafood is rich in nutrients but you are not obliged to make it a part of your daily meal. However, they are vital enough to be consumed twice a week. Seafood has an average of 2% fat and is highly effective if you are planning to lose weight. Moreover, seafood has Omega-3 fats that are important for the healthy body. • Play around Your Kitchen • Contrary to the common presumption, following a diet meal plan does not have to be boring. You have sufficient room to get creative with things that are in your diet plan. You can still enjoy appetising meals like casseroles and pasta dishes. • What you need to bear in mind is that you prepare your meal with limited use of items like cheese and meat. Avoid using heavy cream or deep oil frying. Choose to bake rather than fry. This will limit the consumption of oil. Using extra-virgin olive oil is also a good choice as a replacement for fatty oil. • Do Not Deprive Yourself of Sweets • Sticking with a diet plan does not mean that you have to keep making your sweet tooth suffer. You can satisfy your sweet craving by eating desserts that are naturally sweet. Fresh fruit salad with yogurt or baked apples with cinnamon can make a health-friendly dessert.

13. 3 Reasons Why You Should Have a Healthy Diet Meal Plan • It Gives You Control • When you eat without knowing how many calories you are consuming and what the nutrition value of the meal is, you are likely to have excessive consumption of some nutrients while lacking on others. Making healthy diet meal plan provides you control over the food you eat. • It’s Cost Effective • Having a healthy diet meal plan demands you to eat things that are nutrient-dense and with fewer calories. It doesn't let you exceed on fats or cholesterol, and only offers your body the amount of nutrient in a specific amount they are required in. This usually requires you to have homemade meals and avoid greasy takeouts. • It Relieves Stress • In a life full of stress points like work, bills, family obligations, traffic, and changing economy, you don't want anything else adding up to the list, especially something as mundane as food. Deciding what to eat can be really stressful, more so when you are already going through a long and hectic routine.

14. 1500 Calorie diet – Lose Weight Without Starving Yourself • This diet will help the person lose weight at a much more gradual pace as compared to the 1200 diet. This is losing weight at a safe pace, and the advantage of this is that losing weight at a comparatively slower speed helps you sustain the diet and the weight. • One thing to keep in mind is that the amount you lose, and the pace at which you lose it, all depends on your age, activity level, and the types of foods that you choose to include in this diet. • In order to lose weight safely and sagaciously, try to shed only 1 or 2 pounds a week. For this you just need a simple mathematical calculation, try to cut down your calorie intake by 1000 kcal. If you are consuming 2500 calories a day then try to cut it down to 1500. • However, if your normal intake is 2000 calories it would be advisable to cut it down by 500 calories. Since it is a rapid shortening of calories, a 1500 calorie diet is useful since it lets you consume adequate amount of food without putting your muscle mass at risk.

15. How Healthy Eating Prevents Obesity • Obesity among children and adults has been a growing health concern and is expected to surpass cigarettes as the leading cause of high mortality rates. In Canada, obesity is an economic burden that costs $3 billion annually. As of 2017, Canada stood 35th in rank as the country with the highest rate of obesity, with 64% adults above age 18, and 30 % children between ages 5 and 17 being obese. Research shows alarming statistics that obesity rates in children are expected to increase 20 30%. The factors resulting in obesity could include poor lifestyle choices, lack of physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy eating and genetics. It’s not healthy to feel good in your body when there is clearly something wrong or you are suffering. It’s one thing to feel good in your body when you are at an optimal BMI level. However, if you are underweight or overweight that’s when effort should be taken to bring your body back into a state of balance. Being obese and feeling proud about it is only harming you in the long-term. Bullying on the basis of weight is not acceptable, neither is ‘fat pride’. You are only setting yourself up for numerous other health problems that trickle down to other aspects of your life and prevent you from optimal functioning in everyday activities. There are health disorders that cause you to lose weight abnormally, then there is obesity, which is also no less than a health disorder. • Your aim should be to keep your BMI – ratio of height to weight – at normal levels. Hit 30 and you are obese. By choosing the right foods, you can prevent obesity significantly. Unhealthy, junk or fast food do not contain the essential nutrients that your body requires on a daily basis. Unhealthy food contains saturated fats that get stored in your system, do not burn easily, prevent absorption of other nutrients, and contribute to weight gain. There are simple steps to keep your weight in check and help those around you who need to really shed off those pounds for the sake of health.

16. The End • For more details, please visit: • https://www.sportshealthymeals.ca/meal-plans/