A recent survey showed that while 50% of Americans say they try to eat healthy foods, over 36% still eat fast food regularly. The most common barriers to eating healthy include lack of knowledge and insufficient time to cook food.
It’s no secret that eating unhealthy foods on a daily basis leads to weight gain and chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes. If you’re struggling to make the right food choices and reach your goal weight, learning practical tips will help you move in the right direction.
Are you ready to start making healthier food choices? Read on to learn six helpful tips for making healthy food choices!
1. Eat More Protein
Increasing the amount of protein in your daily diet is one of the best ways to lose weight naturally. Protein is one of the most critical nutrients for long-term weight loss. High levels of protein in your diet reduce appetite and boost metabolism.
Protein also changes different weight-regulating hormones in your body, like the hormone ghrelin. Ghrelin is known as the hunger hormone, which your stomach produces to tell your brain that your stomach is empty.
Since you feel fuller after eating protein, you’ll eat fewer calories naturally. Protein prevents muscle loss, thus keeping your metabolic rate higher since muscles burn more calories than fat. In fact, you can burn up to 100 more calories daily by eating more protein.
You should get 10 to 35% of your daily calories from protein. Men need around 56 grams of protein daily, while women need 46 grams on average.
The good news is losing weight by increasing protein is simple; you just need to eat more foods like:
- Fish like salmon or trout
- Eggs
- Lean meats like chicken and turkey
- Dairy products like Greek yogurt and cheese
- Legumes like chickpeas and lentils
Some people also find taking a protein supplement beneficial since it makes it easier to get more protein each day.
2. Boost Your Fiber
You’ve likely heard that fiber is integral to your daily nutrition, but what is fiber exactly? Fiber is bulk or roughage and a part of plant foods your body cannot digest. There are two types of fiber which include soluble and insoluble fiber.
Soluble fiber attracts water, turns it into a gel-like substance, and slows digestion. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stool, helping it pass quickly through your stomach and intestines.
Fiber is essential to your digestive health and helps you feel fuller for longer. It’s also key to blood sugar control and lower cholesterol levels. Fiber helps blood sugar levels by slowing digestion, impacting how your body responds to the carbohydrates you eat.
It also helps your digestion stay regular since it adds extra bulk to your stools.
You should include both soluble and insoluble fiber in your daily diet by choosing foods like:
- Lentils
- Nuts
- Barley
- Peas
- Whole grains
- Wheat bran
- Fruits and vegetables
One downside to fiber is that having too much can make you feel bloated and gassy. You’ll need to go slowly if you aren’t used to eating much fiber. Gradually adding fiber to your diet and drinking enough water is vital.
3. Drink Plenty of Water
Staying hydrated by drinking enough water each day is a significant part of making healthy food choices that people often overlook. Studies have shown that water intake can help with body weight and composition.
In addition, drinking water before meals can reduce your appetite and the amount of food you eat during meals.
You should choose water instead of other beverages with high amounts of sugar and calories. Doing this allows you to reduce your daily calorie and sugar intake.
You should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily to get enough water. This is also known as the 8×8 rule, but this can vary for each person. For example, if you’re very active during the day, you’ll need more water than a person that sits most of the day.
Some people find it easier to sip on water throughout the day. Either way, you must drink enough water to keep your urine clear and your body hydrated.
4. Limit Your Sugar Intake
Consuming too much sugar contributes to weight gain and conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Eating too much sugar can also cause chronic inflammation in your body. Having inflammation can put you at risk for chronic illnesses.
The trick is avoiding foods with added sugars, like candy, breakfast cereal, cookies, and other desserts. You may see added sugars in the foods you buy with different names, like corn syrup, dextrose, or fructose.
You’ll need to make a conscious effort to limit added sugars by taking steps like:
- Drink water instead of sugary drinks
- Eat fruits and vegetables instead of sugary snacks
- Use soy or fat-free milk in your coffee instead of artificial sweeteners
- Add fruit to your cereals for sweetness instead of sugar
Finally, make sure to read nutrition labels before you buy any food at the grocery store.
5. Start Meal Prepping
Meal prepping is a smart way to begin any weight loss journey. It has many benefits, like long-term weight loss and better food quality. You’re also more likely to eat out less and choose healthier food options when you meal prep.
Meal prepping can be overwhelming for some people, so you’ll need to start slowly. Begin by choosing one day of the week, like Sunday, to plan your menu. While planning your menu, take an inventory of the food you have on hand.
Then, create a meal plan with plenty of protein, fruits, and vegetables. Doing this will make it easy to make a grocery list for shopping.
Some people also batch-cook all their meals over the weekend so they can grab and go during the week. On the other hand, you can choose to prep your ingredients in advance and cook each day.
6. Start a Weight Loss Program
Starting a weight loss program like ChiroThin is a great way to get the nutrition you need and live a more healthy lifestyle overall.
The ChiroThin program involves dietary supplements containing nutritional ingredients that help stabilize blood sugar and fatty acid metabolism. It has a specially designed formula with specific amounts of vitamins and amino acids to help maintain long-term weight loss.
This program also involves weekly visits with a doctor or medical staff member. You’ll follow a low glycemic, anti-inflammatory diet that includes foods like oily fish, fruits, vegetables, and beans.
Finally, you’ll receive guidance to form strategies like an exercise program and other tools to help you achieve long-term success.
Make Healthy Food Choices With ChiroThin
Learning to make healthier food choices will slowly transform how you approach food daily. In time, you’ll find you’re losing weight naturally.
Don’t forget to include the ChiroThin weight loss program in your daily routine to get the support you need along the way.
We make our supplements using the highest standards and only in FDA-certified manufacturing facilities. We use only high-quality ingredients and have a proprietary formula that can suppress your appetite and boost your energy levels.
Are you ready to get started on the path to a healthier you? Click here to find a ChiroThin doctor in your area!