The Mirror's Health , Lifestyle and Fashion
Why choose to die early?
Why a healthy diet? Eating is something we all do, unless you’re planning to unalive yourself One way or another, man must chop. A lot of people eat just to satisfy hunger without thinking much about what they are introducing into their bodies. On a hot sunny day, isn’t it so refreshing to enjoy a chilled bottle of your favourite soft drink under the scorching Accra sun? Or buy that spicy stir-fried noodles from the vendor close by whenever you are hungry? Spoiler alert: at this rate, your body will eventually clap back unexpectedly. Hard! So, if you want to live long enough to achieve your dreams, fear not. I’ve got your back. Below is a compilation of tips to maintain a healthy diet.
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1. Limit Processed Foods: Carbonated drinks, canned foods and instant noodles are super quick and delicious but let’s be real, your body doesn’t need it. These are loaded with excess fats, sugars, and artificial preservatives leading to excessive weight gain, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Reducing your intake of these foods and opting for fresh, whole foods instead is a key step toward maintaining a balanced and healthy diet.
2. Less is more: You’ve seen it before, someone in a local chop bar sitting behind a large ‘asanka’ of fufu heaped with pieces of meat and filled to the brim with soup. However, satisfying this may be, consuming such large quantities of food at once just leads to overeating, indigestion and bloating. You just end up consuming more calories than the body needs in a day which can lead to obesity.
3. Eating a balanced diet: A balanced diet contains all food nutrients in their correct proportions. The essential nutrients being talked about here are proteins, carbohydrates, fats and oils, vitamins and mineral elements. According to the Harvard school of health, half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables. For carbohydrates, just a quarter of your plate. Same for protein (unless you’re trying to lose weight. In that case, eat more proteins). Try as much as possible to eat lean meat (low in fat).
4. Plan and prep your meals: You can plan your meals for the day in the mornings before you start the day. This takes out the stress of finding something to eat and buying food on impulse knowing that your food is readily available. If practiced well, you can even go ahead to plan your meals for the entire week.
5. Listen to your body: Why should you eat when you’re not hungry? The human body knows what it needs and when it needs it. Eat only when you’re hungry and stop when you’re satisfied, not overly full (think about it, would you keep putting fuel in an already full fuel tank of a car?).
Try to control cravings when you don’t need to eat at that moment. When you don’t have enough time to cook a meal and you need that quick, quick snack (get it), opt for healthier options such as fresh fruits and nuts.
6. Educate yourself about nutrition: If you’re reading this, congratulations. You’re making a conscious effort. To really understand what it means to maintain a healthy diet, you need to know how different foods affect the body. Yes, ignorance is bliss but, in this case, detrimental to your health.
By following all these tips, you’re sure to maintain a healthy diet. Your future self would thank you.