You do your best to incorporate healthy eating into your everyday lifestyle, but with all of the gimmicky diets around, it can be confusing to know what is best for your body. Fad diets have a lot of rules that are complicated and difficult to incorporate into your lifestyle. But to eat healthier, you don't need complicated rules. There are some simple techniques that you can incorporate into your routine that won't leave you scratching your head or weighing portions. Here are a couple of tips to help you eat smarter and live a healthier lifestyle.
Cut Out the Sugar
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Many people consume way too many calories in sugar. Not only is too much sugar bad for your waistline, but it can also contribute to type II diabetes. The sugar that many people eat today comes in processed forms that are easy to consume. Soda, candy, and baked goods are all easy-to-spot culprits that keep people from their health goals, so if you're guzzling a couple of sodas a day, cut it down to a soda every couple of weeks. You don't have to completely quit processed sugar, but make it a treat.
While it's true that too much sugar from natural sources, such as fruits, can make you gain weight, this isn't most people's problem. Plus, when you eat fruits, you're still getting the fiber and vitamins. Just be careful about drinking too many fruit juices, which are stripped of the fiber.
Drink the Right Amount of Water
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Drinking too much water isn't a problem for most people. The vast majority of people are actually depriving themselves of enough water, and drinking enough is one of the easiest health tips to incorporate into your everyday life. The standard amount of water that most people should try to drink is about a gallon a day.
While that might sound like a lot, it's actually easier to do that you would think. Have a water bottle that holds a couple of cups of water, then sip on it all day long. If you have a bottle that holds two cups of water, you'll need to fill your bottle four times throughout the day to reach your goal. Flavoring your water can improve your chances of drinking the right amount your body needs, too. You can add lemons, cucumbers, or a variety of other ingredients to make it more interesting.
Cut Out the Artificial Ingredients
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Your body wasn't designed to process red dye #3, and eating foods with a lot of artificial ingredients can give you digestive problems. It can also lead to more serious health problems later in life. Instead, look act the labels of the foods that you're buying, and if anything is difficult to pronounce or doesn't sound like real food, pass on it and substitute it with real, whole foods. Buying locally, or buying from companies that have firm stances to not include any unnecessary artificial colors, processed chemicals, hydrogenated oils, or other unnatural preservatives in their products can greatly improve your quality of life. You could also try making your own food products at home.Being healthy isn't supposed to be complicated. Eating healthfully is easiest when you have a few simple rules that you incorporate into your lifestyle.