Being healthy and fit doesn't only come from working out, but it comes from maintaining a proper, balanced diet. Here are just some of the eating habits and rules I've learned to abide by since adopting a healthier lifestyle:
•Take a daily multivitamin! It's important to get the proper nutrients and vitamins your body needs to stay healthy.
•Limit consumption of refined sugar as much as possible. Learn to say no to baked goods, pastries, ice cream, sugary cereals, candy, and chocolate. Instead of putting refined sugar in coffee, try using milk or honey!
•Stay away from trans fats and keep consumption of saturated fats to a minimum. No fast food!
•Salads are healthy for you because of the lettuce. If you use too much dressing, you might as well just have a burger and fries! Instead of dressing, I like to put Parmesan and fruit or sautéed mushrooms for flavor.
•Going on a diet doesn't mean only counting calories. 200 calories of candy is much worse than 200 calories of fruit. The less processed your meals are, the better!
•Starving yourself is NEVER good. Your body's metabolism will slow down, and once you stop dieting, you'll quickly gain back what you lost. Always eat at least 1200 calories a day, and aim for 5 smaller meals spread throughout the day instead of 3 big meals.
•Eat whole grain pastas and bread! Look at the ingredients on food labels and say away from "enriched" or "refined" flour, which doesn't contain any nutrients.
•To all of you broke college students out there: RAMEN IS SO BAD FOR YOU !!!! You're better off making ham sandwiches or PB&J on wheat bread.
•If I'm hungry for a snack, I try to stick to fruits and stay away from salty foods like crackers. The salt will just make you crave more and you'll end up eating more than you want to.
•Drink water, never soda or concentrated juices.
•Limit alcohol consumption!
It may seem like a lot of rules, but once you get used to eating well, you'll start to crave food that is not only good, but healthy for you as well!
-Brittany
