Healthy Living: Foods For A Healthy Lifestyle
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle should be number one on everyone's list. Whether you're concerned about your health or simply don't like the way you look, there should be no shortage of motivation when it comes to a healthy diet and exercise routine. Sure it can be a difficult process, and sure it's not always easy to stick with a diet plan, but with the right food options on hand the better your chances are of succeeding.
Healthy Living: Foods For A Healthy Lifestyle
Fruits
Whether or not you're on a weight loss journey, fruit makes a wonderful snack. Incorporating fruit into your daily diet can help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. While fresh fruit is best, frozen fruit is a perfectly acceptable alternative, especially in the off-season. Eating more fruit will help you meet your daily allowance of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, folate and potassium. Aim for at least one cup of fruit a day, which can come from whole fruit, dried fruit and 100% fruit juice. Here's some simple fruit snack ideas to try:
- Apple slices with low-fat peanut butter
- Celery sticks with low-fat peanut butter topped with raisins (aka "ants on a log")
- Sliced peaches or strawberries with low-fat vanilla yogurt
- Pineapple chunks with cottage cheese
- Whole wheat cereal with berries
- A cup of oatmeal with berries or sliced bananas
- Dried mango slices
Vegetables
Obviously, vegetables are a great way to get vitamins and nutrients into your diet. They have lots of natural fiber and fill you up quicker than any other food group, which helps with weight management. If you're trying to lose weight, make vegetables one of the main staples in each of your meals and ensure they account for at least 50% of what's on your plate. If you're not a huge fan of vegetables, try masking their flavor by adding them into other recipes. For example, try grating a carrot or two into marinara sauce, or adding torn baby spinach leaves to your salad greens. Even an occasional 8 oz. glass of V8 Vegetable Juice makes a perfectly acceptable alternative to a serving or two of vegetables.
Meats
Lean meats such as chicken, pork and turkey as well as certain cuts of beef are excellent choices for a healthy diet. These meats are high in protein and low in fat, and just a few ounces (served with vegetables and a whole grain) will have you feeling full while eating less.
When choosing meat, it's a good idea to stick with organic, grass-fed, or pasture-raised as they're often healthier and more nutritious. Try to vary your methods of cooking to avoid the monotony of the same routine, like air frying or slow cooking. Additionally, consider stepping out of your comfort zone and try different marinades, dry rubs and sauces (we love this steak fajita marinade as well as this healthy orange chicken with broccoli recipe).
When choosing meat, it's a good idea to stick with organic, grass-fed, or pasture-raised as they're often healthier and more nutritious. Try to vary your methods of cooking to avoid the monotony of the same routine, like air frying or slow cooking. Additionally, consider stepping out of your comfort zone and try different marinades, dry rubs and sauces (we love this steak fajita marinade as well as this healthy orange chicken with broccoli recipe).
​Comfort Foods
One of the essential steps in any health journey is to find a few meals that not only provide vitamins and nutrients but also double as comfort foods as well. For example, a warm bowl of vegetable soup, a tasty turkey meatloaf or a hearty beef stew can be healthy, low-fat and deliciously comforting, especially in the colder months.
For a "comfort snack", you can't beat warm oatmeal made with skim or almond milk topped with berries, or a simple baked apple sprinkled with little bit of brown sugar & cinnamon and topped with raisins or a bit of granola. If ice cream is your thing, try one-ingredient banana ice cream, which not only affords you your sweet treat, but provides you with all the benefits of eating a banana, like 1 gram of protein, 3 grams of fiber and 450 mg of potassium. Alternatively, a simple cup of decaf chai tea made with skim or almond milk is just as delicious and comforting.
For a "comfort snack", you can't beat warm oatmeal made with skim or almond milk topped with berries, or a simple baked apple sprinkled with little bit of brown sugar & cinnamon and topped with raisins or a bit of granola. If ice cream is your thing, try one-ingredient banana ice cream, which not only affords you your sweet treat, but provides you with all the benefits of eating a banana, like 1 gram of protein, 3 grams of fiber and 450 mg of potassium. Alternatively, a simple cup of decaf chai tea made with skim or almond milk is just as delicious and comforting.
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Calcium Rich Foods
To maintain a healthy weight, you'll need to consume between 1200 and 1500 milligrams of calcium per day. By committing to this amount, you will be providing your muscles, bones and teeth with the necessary minerals to stay healthy and strong. Some calcium-rich foods include:
If you're not consuming enough calcium-rich foods every day; you should speak to your doctor about adding a calcium supplement or incorporating more calcium-rich foods into your diet. If you do decide a calcium supplement is right for you, you should consider taking vitamin D as well, as vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. Vitamin D can come from fish such as tuna, salmon and cod, orange juice and dairy fortified products fortified with vitamin D, and exposure to good ole' sunlight.
- Tofu
- Yogurt
- Cheese
- Leafy greens like kale, spinach and bok choy
- Calcium-fortified dairy or fruit juice
- Winter squashes like butternut, acorn and spaghetti squash
If you're not consuming enough calcium-rich foods every day; you should speak to your doctor about adding a calcium supplement or incorporating more calcium-rich foods into your diet. If you do decide a calcium supplement is right for you, you should consider taking vitamin D as well, as vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. Vitamin D can come from fish such as tuna, salmon and cod, orange juice and dairy fortified products fortified with vitamin D, and exposure to good ole' sunlight.
Maintaining a healthy diet requires more than just cutting down on consuming empty calories or eating less. It also means that you should be mindful of what you put into your body and how it may affect the way you feel--both physically and mentally--in the long term. For example, eating foods that are high in sugar, salt, fat, calories and cholesterol will no doubt make you feel sluggish and fatigued and can ultimately contribute to heart disease, lower cognitive function and even cancer.
By choosing to eat healthier food options while paying attention to portion sizes (along with a gentle exercise routine) you should find yourself reaching your health goals in no time!
Do you have any health goals you are working towards? Let us know in the comments below.
This blog post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.
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