Becoming healthier is a journey we should all be constantly a part of. No matter what walk of life you come from, there’s always room to work on your health. Doing so has many benefits:
- Improved focus
- Greater productivity
- Reduced illness
Either way, check out this list to see where you can stand to improve. Every little bit counts, and there’s no better day to start than today.
1. Cut Down on Added Sugars
Most of us are guilty of this problem: too many added sugars in our diet. From morning till bed time, we eat cereals, coffee, bread and just a general cornucopia of different foods that have sugars and syrups added for flavor.
But sugar is one of the biggest enemies of health. Since 2010, we’ve had fairly conclusive research that drinking sugary beverages contributes to poor health and the development of diabetes. Other research also suggests a link between poor heart health and consumption of processed sugars (typical of what’s added to everyday foods).
Your best bet is to stick with basic ingredients. See below for more on that.
2. Shop in the “Horseshoe”
A great place to start looking for healthier alternatives to the sugary items mentioned above is in the “horseshoe” of the grocery store. Generally, that refers to everything along the outer edge of the store, as this is where fresh foods such as fruits, vegetables, and meats tend to be stored.
While staying on the edges isn’t the gospel of shopping, it definitely improves your chances of encountering unadulterated foods. Of course, you'll have to watch out for processed meats (they also tend to be on the outer rim) and flavored milks/creamers, but it’s generally easier to find healthy ingredients and foods there.
If you’re looking for ingredients with less pesticide (assuming you either can’t afford all organic or just don’t have access to it where you live; a problem I face daily), you might consider shopping with an app like Dirty Dozen. It’s a good app for identifying fresh produce that has less pesticide residue.
But take its suggestions with a grain of corn; papayas, which are on the “Clean 15” list are known to be GMO crops, so be aware if that’s an issue (interestingly enough, sweet corn, also on the list, generally is not GMO).
3. Prepare Your Own Meals
Armed with your healthy pick of ingredients, you can further improve your health by preparing your own meals. Doing so ensures you know exactly what’s going into the food and it prevents you from consuming as many processed ingredients such as those found in big chain eateries.
You can also save money and just generally become closer to what keeps you going each day. Understanding how food is prepared and how to preserve the nutrition (such as not overcooking foods or continually reheating leftovers) will help you live a cleaner, healthier life.
If time is an issue, you may want to consider investing in a slow cooker or pressure cooker. We use a pressure cooker at home and it cuts down on the number of pots and pans while reducing cook times significantly.
Read entire 7 Amazing Wellness Tips to Make Yourself Healthier where it was originally published.
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