5 Ways to Evolve Your Eating Today!
Healthful eating is an evolution for your diet -- it's a gradual shift toward making better food choices over time. Here are five simple ways to “evolve your eating” today... for a healthier your tomorrow!
Go for better-for-you butter. Instead of traditional dairy butter, swap in nut butters like peanut and almond butter. Not only will you cut the saturated fat, but you’ll add the better-for-you fats that can keep your arteries clean and flexible. Also, nuts offer a nutritional package of vitamin E, high-quality protein, and fiber.- Veg out your snacks. Replace refined crackers, cookies, and chips with sliced, chopped, or diced veggies. Not only will you be upping your veggie intake for the day, but you’ll do wonders for your blood pressure -- vegetables are naturally low in sodium and high in potassium, which is a great blood pressure-regulating combination!
Rethink red. Choose red beans over red meat. Use red beans (like kidney beans, pinto beans, or red lentils) instead of red meat in your chili, salad, or soup tonight. Not only are you adding a ton of fiber, potassium, and protein that is low in saturated fat to your day, but you're also decreasing your overall calories while feeling satisfied for a longer period of time. It’s a win-win!- L.O.V.E your appetite. Give up battling with food. Instead build a better relationship with it. Develop a new appreciation for food by keeping an appetite log. This will allow you to: Label feelings about certain foods, observe why and when you eat, verify what your hunger and fullness mean to you, and escape habitual or mindless eating.
Swap out soda. In lieu of regular and diet soda, hydrate your body with your number one physiological need – water. Every cell, organ, tissue, and metabolic process in your body relies on water in order to function properly. Sipping water throughout the day is your best bet – get a water bottle to bring to the office, into the car, and to the gym with you.
By Victoria Shanta Retelny, RD, LDN, author of The Essential Guide to Healthy Healing Foods.
