TIPS FOR EATING HEALTHY

Who doesn't love being healthy right? But do you know that cooking your own food or home-cooked meals don't necessarily define "healthy"? You should understand the food that you eat. Eating food that has low to zero calories doesn't make you healthy either. It's understanding the caloric value of the food you eat. When it comes to your weight, it's very simple. You know that when you eat more than your body needs, you'll gain more weight since the energy that you don't use is stored as fats.

And if you eat a little amount of food, you will lose weight. It's easy. You eat the right amount of calories for how active you are so you balance the energy you consume with the energy you use. And you should always make sure to eat a wide range of foods so your body can get all the nutrients it needs.

Here's the recommended amount of calories we should have in a day:

Men- 2500 calories

Women- 2000 calories

I know that making changes to your diet can sometimes seem hard. But you should always put in mind that a healthy diet has been providing health benefits that are scientifically proven to reduce the risk of numerous diseases. You don't have to make big changes right away. Take small steps and it will lead you to your goals. In this article, I will give you tips on how you can start.

1.) Keep Fat to A Minimum

You can still enjoy the taste and the flavor by cutting the amount of fat in your recipes. For example, when cooking with butter, you really don’t need a lot. A little amount will still do the same job as putting a lot. And the richness is still there. Also, a tip is to always use a non-stick pan so you don't have to worry about your food sticking and crushing. And so you can use a little amount of oil or butter when cooking.

Remember that saturated fat that is found mainly in animal products, fried foods, and pastries like cakes, are converted into cholesterol and cause blood cholesterol levels to rise.

2.) Prep Foods Ahead of Time

This might sound hard but trust me, it will make your life easier and help you in reaching your goal to eat healthily. You can prep foods on a weekend so you'll be ready for the whole week. This will not only make you eat healthily but will help you stay on track and keep you away from eating "cheat meals".

3.) Drink Enough Water

Drink water instead of other beverages. This will reduce your sugar and calorie intake. The recommended intake of water is 6 to 8 glasses every day. It can also help burn calories. You need to drink plenty of fluids to stop you from getting dehydrated too.

4.) Eat more Fruits and Vegetables

You can still enjoy your meat! But make sure to balance your meal. Instead of taking your second serving of pasta, pizza or meat, try to get more veggies. It's recommended that you eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and veg every day. You know the good benefits of eating fruits and vegetables for our health.

5.) Time to Appreciate your Herbs and Spices

When you say a clean meal, you might sometimes think of boring and bland foods. Take advantage of your herbs and spices. Make your healthy meal tasty and flavorful! They can maximize the flavor of your food without adding calories to it.

6.) Cut Down Sugar

Too much sugar intake can cause obesity, tooth decay, and all other stuff that is not good to your body which will lead to chronic diseases. There are natural sweeteners out there like for example use honey instead of table sugar. Water is always best, so stop drinking soda. Add fresh fruit to your cereal to make it sweet instead of sugar.

7.) Keep A Healthy Snack Handy

This is to make sure you are on track. Instead of grabbing take-out and junk food, if you have a fruit or other healthy treats handy, it will keep you away from junk food when hunger strikes.