How to Eat Healthy

The healthiest way to eat is the natural way. Foods that are high in preservatives or oils, sweets, and sugar are never good for you, no matter what the label says. Here are some tips to eating well and keeping your body as healthy as possible:

Dont eat too much starch

One look at the food pyramid and you see it all - 6-11 servings of Bread, Cereal, Pasta, and rice. If you want to stay healthy, you have to eat starch to give your body the fuel to keep operating, but try to cut down on as much as you can. Substitute your starches for one another. If you eat pasta, don't eat bread. If you eat bread, don't eat rice. Starch is the food that gives you the most energy in the shortest period of time, yet if you don't use it or if you overeat it, starches are the quickest to betray you and stay in your gut.

Eat Fruits and Vegetables

These provide one necessity to keeping a healthy and lean body: Folic Acid. Fruits and Vegetables contain fiber, which is what many overweight people lack in their diets. Folic acid acts as a cleaner for your colon. Besides all of the nutrients you get from fruits and vegetables, eating these will help you digest. Folic acid forms into a sticky goo inside of your colon that balls up all of the waste you need to excrete and strips your colon clean. Notice that when you eat lots of skins such as Apple skins or broccoli stems, your bowel movements will become a lot easier and a lot smoother. With the ability to digest your food smoothly, you are sure to stay healthy and not overweight. Many people who are overweight may not be eating as much as people who are skinnier than them; they are just eating the wrong things.

Eat lots of berries and nuts

Nuts are an extremely rich source of nutrition tightly packed into a convenient little snack food. They are very oily because they hide lots of nutrients within them. They are an EXTREMELY helpful source in lower the risk of heart related diseases, as they keep the blood in your veins flowing smoothly and prevent against clogs and clots. Nuts contain a large variety of nutrients such as vitamin B-6, thiamin, copper, phosphorus, and magnesium. And that's all in just one little snack! Berries are a very rich source of antioxidants. These include blueberries, rasberries, strawberries, cranberries, etc. Many scientists suggest we eat antioxidants because of free radicals in our body. In general, a "free radical" is any atom or molecule that has a single unpaired electron in an outer shell. These cause our skin cells to look aged and worn out over time, but eating berries can be a good way to prevent against that and (in addition to the abundance of vitamins and minerals) keep your skin clear and tight so you can age slower. But don't be fooled. Too much of anything can be dangerous, even berries and nuts.

Stay low on protein

Don't eat too much red meat (or even white meat for that matter). Although these foods are extremely tasty, they provide our bodies with a lot of protein, something that we don't need that much of. This is why vegetarians can live long lives as well; they eat eggs. Eggs are a good source of protein in the place of meat, but if you must eat meat, try to keep the portions low, and remember, you can always eat fish.

Portion Control

No matter what you eat, only eat certain portions. Our bodies are not meant to be put in extreme conditions. Our bodies are machines that we need to keep running smoothly. A normal human is not meant to eat much more than one plate of food at each sitting. Our society today has gotten too lenient on what is overweight and what is not, thereby skewing our views on what is enough. Enough is to the point of "I'm full." You can always eat what you want to the next meal, so why eat like you are going to die tomorrow? It's the instant gratification mentality that really pushes people to eating like there's no tomorrow. Remember, this isn't your last supper.

These are just some tips on how to stay healthy. Remember, nothing is really set in stone. You know in your mind what is healthy and what is not, yet you always feel the need to eat that last Twix Bar. It adds up. If you really want to make an improvement in your life you cannot cheat yourself, especially when it comes to dieting. Remember, get enough sleep, exercise moderately, and eat healthy. Your life is yours!