Proper Nutrition: Tips to Help You Improve Your Health

Proper nutrition is a vital part of health and development. According to World Health Organization (WHO), living on good nutrition is related to a lower risk of diseases, improved health for persons of all ages, and a longer life span.

That said, it’s easy to get confused about what proper nutrition entails, given that even qualified experts seem to have contradictory opinions on this subject.

Below are nutritional tips that are actually backed by research to improve your health.

 

Increase your protein intake

You may have had protein being referred to as the king of nutrients. Well, that seems to be the case.

For starters, it has the ability to affect your satiety and hunger hormones. Recent studies have shown that consuming high-protein food decreases ghrelin—the hunger hormone.

Moreover, proteins can increase your calorie burn rate and help you retain muscle weight. 

 

Eat whole grains

Whole grains should always be part of your diet. In fact, the American Heart Association recommends that people should eat whole grains instead of refined grains.

Why? Because whole grain contains nutrients such as iron, vitamin B, and fiber.  These nutrients help with different body functions such as regulating the immune system, carrying oxygen in the blood, and balancing blood sugar levels.

 

Include healthy fats in your diet

USDA recommends that you limit the intake of saturated fats while avoiding trans-fat. You can replace these fats with healthier unsaturated fats, which can be obtained from oily fish, vegetable oils and avocado.

 

Ensure you have enough fiber

Taking enough fiber can help improve your blood cholesterol levels and lower the chances of contracting health defects such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Some of the foods that can increase your fiber intake include pulses, vegetables, and beans.

 

Drink some water, especially before meals

You probably already know that water is life. Drinking sufficient water has numerous benefits.

Among them include boosting the number of calories you burn. Studies have shown that water can enhance your body’s metabolism by approximately 30% over 1.15 hours. The best time to drink water is usually before take meals. Endeavor to drink at least 500ml of water 30 minutes before your meals.

 

Take vitamin d3 if you don’t get enough sunlight

While sunlight is an excellent vitamin D source, many people fail to get enough of it for different reasons. If you are such a person, vitamin D supplements could be great alternatives. Among the benefits that you will get from them include reduced symptoms of depression, increased strength, and lower cancer risk.

 

Minimize your sugar intake

Using too much added sugar could have detrimental health effects such as heart diseases, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

Additionally, you should regulate alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking and ensure you exercise. Making radical changes to your diet at once can be overwhelming. As such, you should remember to incorporate the changes into your life gradually.

 

Sources

1. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Healthy-eating-what-to-put-on-your-plate

2. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/nutrition-tips

3. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet

4. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/27-health-and-nutrition-tips

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