11 Steps To A Healthy Diet

A healthy and fulfilling life is the desire of everyone but only 2-5% of the global population actually follows the steps leading to a healthy life. A Healthy Diet is one of the major elements in keeping one fit and healthy. In today's scenario, the whole world is in a rush, everyone has a busy lifestyle and people tend to follow unhealthy food habits, pick up smoking, drinking and do no physical activity due to which they get engulfed in the trap of diseases and are not able to lose weight, weight loss. It is important that before we find ourselves trapped in diseases, we get alarmed and start practicing a healthy diet. Wellversed brings to you 11 steps to a healthy diet which guarantees you a good life ahead.

1. Prefer whole-wheat grains and bread over refined and all purpose grains. 

Whole wheat grains are known to be the original vegan product directly coming from the farm in comparison to the all purpose and refined flours and grains as they are processed and impure. Switching to whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta and other whole wheat grains instead of white bread, white pasta etc can help the body to boost its immunity and prevent the body from getting easily prone to chronic diseases such as heart problems, type 2 diabetes etc. It also increases the average lifespan of a person and boosts the overall body health since most of the problems arise from adding the refined food items in our daily diets. 

2. Drink Enough Water

Water is the most important element of the earth without which human existence is impossible. Water generally goes underrated and people tend to drink less water in comparison to the amount of foods they eat. It simply leads to dehydration, which further leads to constipation and other gastrointestinal problems. It is recommended to drink at least 2-3 liters of water daily in order to stay hydrated and maintain the salt and sugar balance of the body. Water should always be taken before and after a diet and not between consuming the meals to prevent indigestion and breathing problems. 

3. Shift to unsweetened tea from sweetened beverages.

A healthy lifestyle's important rule is to consume the appropriate amount of calories, neither much less nor more. We tend to forget this rule and do not pay attention to calorie intake due to which we get obese and have other weight related problems. The consumption of sweetened tea, soda and other beverages is one of the major calorie adding ingredients in our diet. A person generally consumes these drinks 1-2 times in a day, unknown with the fact that one bottle of soda might contain 140 calories alone. Therefore it is advised to switch to bulletproof coffee or unsweetened tea and soda to save the body from extra consumption of carbs and calories on a whole. Studies show that consuming unsweetened tea can save 7,840 calories and 448 teaspoons of sugar per month if one drinks about 2 servings of soda or sweetened tea a day. 

4. Prefer dressings of fresh fruits and veggies instead of fries and chips.

Most of the time we dine out or wish to have our favorite rolls, sandwiches, burgers we prefer them with dressings and extras of lots of fries, chips and cola, unknown from the endless side effects they might cause. Foods like french fries or potato chips are deep fried due to which they contain typically more amount of fats and carbohydrates which increases their calorie content, making it harmful.

Therefore, for a healthy life, it is advised to choose fruits and vegetables, olive oil and coconut oil instead of fried food items with rolls and sandwiches so that the body saves itself from consuming extra calories and also gets the healthy nutrients it needs. 

5. Include Nuts and Seeds in your diet

Nuts and seeds and their byproducts are a great addition to any type of diet thus making it healthy.Studies show that 28-gram serving of nuts or seeds contains 5–12 grams of protein and it makes it a great alternative to protein-rich animal products. Nuts and seeds such as chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts etc have the perfect combination of all the nutrients (vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, proteins) the body needs.  According to experts, 28 grams of servings of nuts and seeds are appropriate for the human body and its proper functioning.

6. Include Omega-3 fatty acids in your diet

A healthy lifestyle can be led following a healthy diet. Omega 3 fatty acids are one of the most important nutrients that the body needs for good heart health, preventing the body against diseases such as Parkinson's, Dementia, type 2 diabetes etc. Nuts and seeds, many vegetables are rich sources of omega 3 fatty acids. Seafood such as fish, especially Salmon, Tuna, Mackerel etc are some of the foods which are extremely rich in omega 3 fatty acids. They can be eaten boiled, grilled etc  and improve the brain and heart health by improving the overall body health.

7. Count Nutrients Not Calories 

Body health is determined by the quality of diet the body consumes not its quantity. The body creates energy from the calories but derives the good nutrients from the good calories, it is important to keep a check on the quality of food we consume instead of just eating anything and everything. A healthy life can be led by adding whole wheat grains, fresh fruits and vegetables in a diet and by giving up on packaged and processed foods which increase the calorie intake but not the nutritional value.

8. Eat properly and not in a hurry

Oftentimes due to our busy schedules we tend to chew the food in a hurry, just gulp it all and don't chew the food properly until it breaks down properly. This causes digestion problems in the body in the long term and the body is unable to absorb the nutrients from the food we consume therefore it is recommended to eat in smaller plates and properly with a dedicated time.

9. Eat in smaller plates 

Human psychology is interesting yet complex. Even though one eats a bigger plate of comparatively less calorie foods, he might end up thinking that he has already consumed a lot of food and might skip the other meal or the consequent snack which may result in a calorie deficit in the long term. Eating in smaller plates is considered good in many ways. First of all, it becomes easy for the body systems to digest it and secondly it saves the brain from suffering from problems such as eating disorders. It also helps in preventing type 2 diabetes, obesity etc. 

10. Do Not skip meals

We often tend to skip meals due to having overeaten the previous meal or due to other problems. This is a serious offense to the healthy diet as it causes other problems such as indigestion, constipation, dizziness, fatigue etc. One might eat smaller meals but should not miss any meal of the day especially the dinner as it causes a serious nutrient deficiency in the body when it tries to synthesize the nutrients in the night and finds none. Therefore every meal of the day is important and should be consumed. 

11. Keep in stock a supply of healthy foods

It is common that we might get sugar cravings, food swings and we might feel hungry even after eating a sumptuous and full meal just hours before. Being human, it is not always possible to discard this desire. We can still lead a healthy life by having in stock a supply of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, unprocessed snacks etc for our emergency cravings so that we don't end up starving or consuming old packaged food which might contain bad cholesterol etc. There is a wide range of healthy cookies, muffins, chocolates available in the health market which is healthy for the body and does not have any side effects.

Conclusion 

There are numerous ways of leading a healthy life and staying away from diseases. It is impossible for anyone to follow all of those but one of the most important factors of a fulfilling and healthy life is a good and healthy diet with enough water consumption. If one follows these 11 proven and tested steps to a healthy diet, it is obvious that he/she will be less prone to side effects and risk factors related to ageing, old age, diseases etc. and would lead a good and healthy life. Wellversed wishes everyone a good health and a good diet.