7 Tips to Help You Start Eating Healthy

Do you always get the picture of bland unappealing food whenever you hear healthy eating and dieting?  Well, knowing the basics of a healthy diet will change that picture. Healthy eating and dieting simply means eating a wide variety of health foods. 

Eating different foods is an essential part of a healthy diet. Identifying the different health foods will help you make healthier choices. Here are 7 tips to help you start a healthy eating and dieting practice.

1. Know you Carbs.  Carbohydrates or starchy foods should make up about a third of the food you eat. Starchy foods provides your body with the energy it needs and  is a good source of a range of nutrients like fiber, calcium, iron and B vitamins. Healthy eating and dieting practice always choose wholegrain. Wholegrain carbs have more fiber and other nutrients than white or refined starchy foods.  Plus the fact that wholegrain digests slower making you feel full longer. 
2. Lessen your intake of saturated fats, sugar and salt. Read the labels of the foods you buy. Take note of their content. Sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, hydrolyzed starch and invert sugar, corn syrup and honey all mean sugar. While sodium and monosodium glutamate all mean salt. One thing to remember in reading labels is that if is listed on top, then the food you are buying is high on that content or ingredient.
3. Challenge yourself with eating more fruits and vegetables. Try to eat at least 5 servings of a variety of fruit and vegetable every day.  You can choose from fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or juiced.  Can’t seem to eat your veggies? Read on our 7 easy ways to help you start a healthy eating and dieting practice.  
4. Try eating more fish. Fish is an excellent source of protein and are full of many vitamins and minerals. Try eating at least two portions of fish a week, including a portion of oily fish. Choose from fresh, frozen or canned, however bear in mind that canned and smoked fish can be high in salt.
5. Drink 6 to 8 glasses (1.2 liters) of water every day. Keeping yourself hydrated is one of the best practice on healthy eating and dieting.
6. Eat your breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A bowl of wholegrain cereal with some low-fat milk and sliced banana and a glass of fruit juice will be a good way to start your day. This will give you the energy you need to face the day. 
7. Like it or not, but exercise is an essential of being healthy. Exercise is a good way of burning extra calories, and helps you control your weight. This does not mean you need to join a gym. Just try to get physically active every day.  Include walking into your daily routine. Start to walk at a good pace.