4 Tips for Eating Clean and Making Healthier Food Choices

Eating healthy foods is a long-term solution for sustained weight loss and better health. Learn simple ways to get started making healthy food choices by eating clean.

Many people are looking for a way to lose weight and improve their health in a healthy way. Fed up with fad diets, people want an eating plan that will not only help them lose weight and get fit, but also a plan that is more of a lifestyle, not something that they have to go “on” and “off.” Eating clean is one way to do just that. Here are a few tips to get started eating clean.

1. Stop Drinking Soda and Other Sugary Drinks

4 Tips for Eating Clean and Making Healthier Food Choices - avoid sugary drinks

Sugary beverages such as soda and some fruit juices have absolutely no nutritional value and actually make you feel worse both physically and mentally. Sugar-laden drinks spike your blood sugar quickly, which causes fatigue and hunger and cravings for even more sugar. Opt for lots of water or your favorite teas flavored with a natural sweetener if desired and freshly-squeezed or 100% fruit juice. If you don’t like the taste of plain water, try adding some flavor like lemon or lime.

2. Switch to Whole Grains

4 Tips for Eating Clean and Making Healthier Food Choices - switch to whole grains

The main goal of eating clean is giving the body foods that are not overly processed. Wholegrain breads and pastas have been processed less and contain no added sugar or white flour as white bread and regular pasta do. Make sure you read the ingredients list when purchasing whole grains. Many wholegrain foods contain high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is also included in white bread, and the verdict is still out on the healthfulness of HCFS. Consuming HCFS is not a part of eating clean, so reading ingredient lists and avoiding HCFS as much as possible is a step in the right direction towards eating clean.

Opt for healthy tortillas such as whole wheat tortillas or corn tortillas since they are minimally processed and retain their nutritional value. Tip: when using corn tortillas, warm the tortillas before use because otherwise, they will break apart when you try to roll them.

3. Keep Healthy Snacks Within Easy Reach

4 Tips for Eating Clean and Making Healthier Food Choices - healthy snacking

Instead of buying chips and cookies, choose fresh fruits and veggies, slivered almonds, granola, and other healthful, clean snacks. Clean and chop (if desired) fresh fruits and veggies as soon as you get them home from the grocery and store them in a container in the fridge so they’re easily accessible and ready to eat when you are hungry and looking for a snack. Also, you can make a lot of healthy snacks ahead of time and store them in a container as well or freeze them for later use. Keep ingredients needed for smoothies on-hand at all times since smoothies are a quick and easy clean snack.

4. Eat More Often

4 Tips for Eating Clean and Making Healthier Food Choices - small, frequent meals

Eating mini-meals every two to three hours throughout the day keeps blood sugar levels under control, no crashing and burning especially eating clean foods. Eating small, frequent meals also keeps hunger and cravings at bay.

How to Live Healthier While Capturing a Longer Life

Afforable Quality Vitamins - Live a longer and healthier life

According to the American Surgeon General’s Report on Nutrition & Health, 75% of cardiovascular diseases, 60% of women’s cancers, and 40% of men’s cancers are related to nutrition and diet. This is a startling statistic since every person on earth is susceptible unless intervention occurs. The mind of the individual possesses the power to switch tracks to alter behavior. In accordance with the above statement, let’s examine statistics related to the positive or negative influence of common activities in our daily lives.

  • Washing hands: +2years
  • Dental hygiene: +6 years
  • Divorce: -3 years
  • Regular exercise: +2 years (losing 2,000 calories each week)
  • Cigarette smoking: -10 years
  • If smoking, no exercise, stressful life: -20 years

Additional information from this source shows that both positive thinking and the practice of meditation possess positive results. An additional tidbit…the habit of fasting one day monthly consuming only water can assure improved health over time. Another suggestion is that a banana consumed on a daily basis can reduce the chance of a stroke by 40%.These statistics are based on Dr. Trisha MacNair’s book, Long Life Equation. This is a quick illustration of how much readjustment power for health situations is in the power of the involved individual. A 2006 study from the University of California in Los Angeles show convincing evidence that couples in stable married partnerships live healthier, happier, longer lives. As you can see, possibilities for health improvement are endless.

It is essential to set a clear goal to live a long, happy, healthy, and productive life. Stress management is workable with a positive attitude. It is a fact that fatigue is the first noticeable symptom of all chronic disease. Let your building blocks of happiness and contentment include: (1) being socially active by maintenance of strong relationships (2) knowing how to laugh and have fun (3) eating right and exercising moderately with a positive attitude.

There are positive signs that an individual knows who he or she is by the rules which are followed. The following rules are signs that an individual respects his body and mind.

  1. Keep this statistic in mind: Smoking contributes to 400,000 deaths yearly. If you remember this, you will not indulge in the habit of smoking unless you wish to place yourself at risk.
  2. Maintain a healthy weight, so that you will not be killed by the effect of your own weight.
  3. Adopt an active lifestyle which enables you to experience happiness.
  4. Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol which combined with negative circumstances could cost you your life.
  5. Take care of yourself by fastening your seat belt while driving or riding in a car.
  6. Repeated doses of medication are not a safe way to reduce stress.
  7. Go for regular health checks.
  8. Learn to control one’s own anger.
  9. Manage time well in all circumstances.
  10. Don’t make money your primary goal. Benjamin Franklin wrote, “Wealth is not his that has it, but his that enjoys it.”
  11. Enjoy sound relationships among friends and family.

Affordable Quality Vitamins - How to Live a Longer and Healthier Life

In conclusion, you need 30-45 minutes of walking, jogging, swimming, or cycling at least 5 days a week. Get exercise in the process of living such as garden work, shoveling snow, making one’s own bed, or better still, daily workouts. Control your own diet with much interest and care.

Affordable Quality Vitamins - How to live a longer and healthier life

According to “Successful Aging”, by doctors Rowe and Kahn, an individual’s genetic make-up accounts for 30% of the person’s ability to achieve longevity. The remaining 70% is our lifestyle. If no life-altering illness is involved, a person has a 70% chance of determining one’s own longevity. It’s up to the determination of each individual to monitor these three basic components of lifestyle: body care, nutrition, and exercise. 70% or your ability to achieve longevity is determined by how you live and what you eat.