We are very aversive to diet plans as most of the time it forces us to refrain from the food, we love to have. Normally diet plans look very boring and tasteless. We force ourselves to start with the plan, but after a short period, we are not able to follow it.
Point to note is that anything we are forced to do does not persist. Hence, I will suggest some small changes, which will not compel you to change your diet but will have significant benefits.
Control the portion instead of the food
As I had mentioned in my last post to eat slowly, which will control how much you eat. Instead of changing your diet, if you control the portions, the food becomes significantly balanced.
Increase the protein and vitamins and reduce the fat and carbohydrates. This indicates that you should increase the portions of eggs, fish, lentils, and salads. You should not stop eating fat and carbohydrates, but you should reduce the portions of bread, oily food, and rice, etc. Try to avoid oily and fatty salad dressings. Also, switch to grilled, sautéed, baked dishes instead of fried ones. This makes your regular diet balanced!!!
Increase your variety of intake
Most of us prefer to have only a few veggies and other ingredients that we like or love to have. This decreases the variety of food that we consume and hence reduces the nutrient value of the meal. So, you should increase the variety in your meal by introducing small portions of new varieties. Maybe add some new veggies to your salad. Add some pulses or veggies to your fish or egg dish or bread or rice.
Increase in protein consumption
Hair and nails are made from protein. Our body uses protein to create and fix issues. Proteins are also used to produce enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. It is an essential building block for bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. Given these facts, proteins should be a major part of our diet. To add proteins also reduces appetite and hunger levels, which help you in controlling your diet portions. It increases the metabolism of our body and helps maintain weight loss.
So, make fish, eggs, pulses, and other protein-rich food parts of your regular diet.
Do not miss your breakfast
If you regularly skip morning meals, you are more prone to weight gain and at an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol. As rightly said, breakfast means “breaking the fast”. If you do not break the fast in the morning, the body tends to prepare itself for starvation, which means lower metabolism. This obviously gives rise to the conservation of fat. Also, as the metabolism is slowed down the regular generation of hormones like insulin reduces, which impacts your blood sugar levels.
As rightly said by A.A. Gill,
Breakfast is everything. The beginning, the first thing. It is the mouthful that is the commitment to a new day, a continuing life.
Reduce processed snack
I have realized that evening time is when I am more susceptible to having unhealthy food. Why? That the time I feel so hungry after coming back from work that I tend to have whatever is available at the stretch of my hand. I am too tired to make something for myself.
How to avoid this? Let no processed snacks be readily available at home. It is always better to have cereals with milk or fruits and nuts instead. Then you can have an early dinner. This one is one of the toughest habits to come out of, but it is a necessary one. Else all your other efforts to balance your diet goes for a toss.
Avoid eating other than regular mealtimes
This happens when we have the munchies handy 🙂
Most of us feel having a little bit of these will not affect, but it does if it becomes frequent. It is always good to avoid eating at irregular times, as this impacts the metabolism as well. We should give our digestive tract some rest as well 🙂
Avoid loaded beverages and juices
It is a well-known fact that having fruits is always better than the juice of it. As the fiber is lost in the juices.
On top of it if we feel we are controlling our diet by having beverages instead of munchies, then we are mistaken.
Most of the cappuccinos, mochas, shakes, and mocktails are heavily loaded with fat and carbs which is not healthy for our body.
So next time you go to a cafe, order for a black coffee or green tea instead of these beauties. They are not as healthy as beautiful and appetizing they look!!!
So, are you game to get on with these tiny twists into your food style?
You better be if you want to feel light and lovely. 🙂
No comment yet, add your voice below!