7 SIMPLE STAYLIGHT SUGGESTIONS
We all can lead healthier lives, so we decided to put together some of our top simple suggestions that you can easily begin to implement into your life today! Implementing these suggestions will help you with your nutrition, weight-loss, and overall health.
1. Eat single-ingredient foods.
Whole, single-ingredient food is not only rich in nutrients, but free of chemical additives, which can often times harm your health and weight-loss goals. Single-Ingredient foods are what humans have eaten for thousands of years, and there are plenty of benefits that come from eating with this lifestyle. Some of these benefits include a boost in antioxidants and nutrients to help support your heart! Whole foods can contain healthy fats that our bodies need, and help us with lower sugar intakes, higher fiber intake, increased skin benefits, etc. In general, aiming to eat single-ingredient foods takes the focus off of “dieting” and puts more of a focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
2. You always need more water.
The average person doesn’t drink enough water. There are countless reasons why you need more water, never mind the fact that your body needs it to function properly. In order to maximize physical performance when doing any activity or exercise, you need water. Being hydrated keeps your energy levels up, as well as your total brain function. Drinking more water not only helps keep your skin hydrated and looking healthy, but it can also can help aid in weight-loss and curb cravings.
3. Cut your bread/pasta intake in ½.
While you can’t target fat on any specific area of your body, you can prevent future fat accumulation around the abdominal region by cutting back on processed, simple carbs. When you consume too many carbs, your body stores it as energy in the form of glycogen. If this “energy” isn’t used and your glycogen stores are at or above maximum capacity, then your body will turn this into fat. So make sure to take a good look at what’s on your plate and adjust your portions acoordingly!
4. Eat more green vegetables.
There are so many factors as to why you should eat more greens, but we wanted to touch on what we think are the biggest reasons to! There are many vitamins and minerals in green and leafy veggies which help aid in muscle recovery and tissue repair. Some help make your bones and teeth stronger, and many provide you with nourishment that helps your hair and skin glow. In the long run, green and leafy veggies also reduce your risk of cancer. Bottom line is that you’ll be all around healthier and stronger for eating your greens!
5. More protein! You don’t eat enough!
I think that we all pretty much know that protein is the foundation of all of our muscles. With this in mind, it’s simple to say that it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough in order to either maintain or promote healthy muscle growth. Protein not only is essential for our bodies, but it actually helps aid in weight loss too, due to the fact that it keeps you fuller longer and cuts cravings. Higher protein intake has also been linked to lower blood pressure, and it helps you remain fit as you get older by keeping your muscles strong, and speeds up recovery time when you’re injured. Bottom line: eat more protein!
6. Stop eating when you feel 80% full.
Your brain takes longer to relay back to you that you’re full. A lot of us have also surpassed this mechanism from years of being told to eat everything on our plates. By overriding our bodies’ natural inclinations to stop eating once full, we teach our brains to not let us know that our hunger has been truly satisfied. Work to practice eating slowly, enjoying every bite of your food, and stopping early for the next 15-20 meals, and muscle memory of your stomach getting used to less food should start to reset. When you practice mindful eating, you have more freedom to not only eat what you want, but you get the chance to focus on quality. Research shows that this reduces binge-eating behaviors.
7. Take a multi-vitamin every day!
As we age and change in life, so do our bodies needs. Taking a multivitamin every day can benefit your body by helping to absorb the nutrients it needs, offset deficiencies, and by just straight up helping you feel better! Taking a multivitamin has been linked to a boost in energy levels, immunity, and feeling good.
