The majority of us stick to the same food comfort zone and eat the same way for our whole lives. And when the desire to get healthier requires a massive dietary overhaul, we feel overwhelmed. Before taking the big jump, make sure you are following a healthy baseline diet and then make minor nutritional tweaks. This can reduce the chances of conditions like heart diseases, diabetes, muscle pains, and aches.
Here are a few diet tweaks to consider in your day-to-day life:
1. Reduce your salt intake: Limit your salt intake. While a small amount of salt in our diet is not a problem, consuming more than what is required can be. For instance, processed foods that contain a lot of refined salt and sodium lead to high blood pressure that affects the heart, kidney, brain, and eyes. The preference should always be home-cooked food, in which one can restrict the amount of sodium that goes into each bite. Make use of various organic herbs and spices with vinegar, black pepper, and lemon, to make your seasonings salt-free. It is also important to read the food label to check sodium quantity before you make a purchase.
2. Increase your fibre: Switch to a plant-based diet to increase fibre in the body. It promotes a healthy weight, averts constipation, reduces cholesterol, and upholds blood sugar within normal levels. A bowl of nuts and berries can be a healthy substitute for the sugary and refined cereal in the breakfast. Make a sandwich using a whole-grain tortilla and add tomato, lettuce, and other vegetables for lunch. Consider having a fibre-full evening snack and dinner too. However, it is important that you gradually increase fibre in your diet. In addition to this, consume enough water to avoid any gastrointestinal discomfort.
3. Tune in to hunger cues: Adding snacks to a healthy eating plan provides an important energy boost to keep you going between meals. It should be a combination of fruits or vegetables with whole grains and a protein source. While whole grains give you instant energy, protein aids you to feel fuller for a long time period. The water and fibre in fruits and vegetables contain a variety of vitamins and minerals that increase your overall well-being. Realising when you are hungry and when not goes a long way towards improving your overall health. While kids and small children do a good job consuming food when they’re hungry and not eating when they’re full, grown-ups tend to overeat or skip for many external reasons.
The bottom line: Big lifestyle changes at once are difficult but small dietary tweaks at their own pace will make a big difference. Do remember that the importance of tweaking a diet needs a healthy baseline at its core. Consult a dietician who can understand your requirements and accordingly advise changes in your diet to make you reach achieve your health goal.
The writer is Fitness and Nutritional Scientist, Co-Founder – Food Darzee.