Sometimes getting fit just seems too much like hard work. What if there was an easier way? Here are some top tips that will make you healthier, improve your lifestyle, and require very little effort.
Eat more vegetables
The easiest way to fix your diet to become healthy is to fill half your plate with vegetables, particularly dark green leafy vegetables, carrots, broccoli, or cauliflower. Try to avoid the more starchy vegetables like potatoes. Veggies are packed with nutrients, fibre and water, and if you buy vegetables in season, you’ll find this is also an affordable method to get healthier.
Eat from a smaller plate or bowl
It is amazing how easy it is to trick your own mind. If you want to cut down on the amount of food you eat, try eating from a smaller plate. In one study, scientists found that people who ate from large serving bowls ate 56 per cent (142 calories) more food than people who ate from smaller bowls. Other studies have found that people consistently eat more food when offered larger portions and plates. We tried this at our house and it works well, especially when it comes to meals like pasta or rice-based dishes.
Go wholemeal
Whether it’s pasta, rice or flour, choose the wholemeal option instead of the white one. There is rarely a big difference in price, but there is a huge difference in the health benefits. The white options are usually stripped of their nutrients and fibre. Going wholemeal may mean you have to cook your food a little longer, but it will increase the healthy nutrients in your diet.
Drink green tea
Green tea is one of the healthiest drinks available today. It’s low in calories and high in nutrients and antioxidants that can help your body fight those ‘free radicals’ – molecules that have been shown to increase disease risk and speed aging. Studies have also shown that people who drink the most green tea tend to live longer, have a lower risk of heart disease and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
Drink water with your meals
With summer on the way it’s important to remember to drink plenty of water. Whether you lead an active or a relaxed lifestyle, water is essential to maintaining your health. There is no set formula for how much water a person should drink. How much water you require depends on many factors, including your overall health, where you live and how active you are. Generally, health practitioners suggest you drink around two litres per day. That’s the equivalent of about eight glasses. If you drink a glass of water with every meal and one between meals, that is a solid start to keeping your hydration at a healthy level.
Take the stairs instead of an elevator
Finding the time and motivation to exercise can be one of the most difficult things, but what about the times that you actively avoid the opportunity? A simple example is when you take an elevator or escalator instead of the stairs. Look at your routine for other exercise opportunities that you could be avoiding.
What simple health tips do you have for our members?
Find out more at healthline.com
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