With kale T-shirts and miracle juices popping up in every direction, making healthy choices can be a little confusing. You may ask yourself, are ginger shots just trendy or can they really help your gut?
The answer is short and sweet: yes they can! Actually, we can make healthier lifestyle choices here in the RGV and it is extremely simple. First, it’s important to ditch the trendy facades of today’s health foods and dig a little deeper. Whether you’re looking for a health revolution or you’d simply like to stop eating all those Flamin’ Hots, listen up.
Eating right isn’t hard; it’s actually quite easy, and when armed with the right info, it can actually be fun (no sarcasm whatsoever).
So no matter where your diet falls under the whole raw and organic spectrum, it’s time to embrace the simpler, more natural foods out there and develop your own tastes. You might be surprised at what you find.
In the spirit of channeling your inner passion for kale, here are 5 fuss-free hacks to eating a healthier diet and ultimately a more positive lifestyle:
Eat REAL Food
It’s time to ditch those 100 calorie bars and reevaluate exactly what you’re putting in your body. Nowadays, fast and frozen foods can be found anywhere you go. What may seem convenient to you is really just a myriad of questionable ingredients you can’t pronounce—no bueno.
For that reason, it’s crucial that we eat as natural as we can. In order to do so, embrace plants of all varieties, high-quality proteins like salmon, complex carbs such as quinoa and healthy fats like avocado. With every meal, make sure around 70-80% of your plate is either fruits, veggies or a combination of the two.
Fat can be healthy
Contrary to what SlimFast might tell you, certain fats can actually do the body a lot of good. From avocados to almonds, consuming healthy fats in moderation throughout the day has the power to keep you feeling fuller. If you modify your low calorie diet to include some healthy fats, you will feel famished less and will be less likely to want to binge on Wataburger fries and other unhealthy choices.
Dinner Double Duty
Since our days get so busy, it’s easy to pass up the prep and order out. While a little take out in moderation isn’t a bad thing, during the week strive to cook a balanced meal instead! Studies have shown that if you eat at home, you will generally eat healthier meals with fewer calories.
To make things even better, box up your leftovers and eat them for lunch the following day—2 healthy meals in one!
Water Water Water
This goes without saying, but drinking the proper amount of water every day has the potential to do a lot for your health! This is even more critical here in the RGV tropical heat. Keeping your body hydrated throughout the day, as well as, rehydrating post workout are key. Instead of chugging water at random parts of the day, carry around a refillable water bottle with you everywhere you go. It’ll be a good habit before you know it.
Think Small
We’ve been brought up believing that eating properly involves 3 meals a day. The reality is your blood sugar is better regulated if you eat regularly throughout the day, roughly every three hours. The more hungry you are between meals, the more likely you are to overeat. Eating 4-6 smaller meals a day might help you raise your metabolism but, remember, if your goal is weight loss, the total number of calories each day is more important than the number of meals you eat them in.
See, eating healthy in our fast food obsessed world isn’t as hard as you think. All it takes is a little will power and a few minutes spent at the H-E-B fresh produce department.
