Many people are familiar with strict dieting as a means to lose weight, but most have never really heard of healthy eating. While both may seem to be the same thing, healthy eating is far different from strict diet programs that require you to cut back on certain types of foods in order to maintain a healthy weight. In fact, healthy eating doesn’t restrict you from eating any type of food that you want. This may sound too good to be true but there is actually a way to stay fit without starving yourself to death.
Simply put healthy eating this way: during breakfast, try to eat like a king, filling your plate with every nutritious and delicious food you can feast on. At lunch time, limit your meals as if you’re a prince. And when dinnertime comes, eat as if you’re a pauper and there’s very little food left for you to eat. This way, no matter how much and what type of food you eat, you will have very little chance of becoming obese or even sickly. Healthy eating doesn’t require you to cut back on all food; however, you still have to make sure you’re eating the right type of food at the right time of the day.
Do your best not to skip meals during breakfast. Most people think that by not eating in the morning, they can actually lose weight fast. Nothing could be further from the truth because studies show that skipping breakfast can actually increase a person’s risk for becoming obese. The reason is that when you miss your breakfast, there’s a huge chance that you’ll get hungry even before lunch time comes, and when that happens, you will be tempted to snack on junk food and consume more calories than you should. Again, eat breakfast like a king, filling your plate with eggs, oats, mushroom, bacon, and a piece of fruit. These types of food contain all the essential nutrients and energy you need throughout the day.
When lunchtime comes, you can limit your eating since you’ve had a huge breakfast. There’s no need for a heavy meal during this time so you can basically go for fruits, vegetables, and fish. There will also probably not be many healthy choices of food in your office pantry or cafeteria so it would be a good idea to pack your own lunch especially if you don’t have time to look for a restaurant that serves nutritious dishes. In the same manner, instead of drinking coffee or soda during your break in the afternoon, why not try some fruit juice or shake instead? Coffee can indeed give you a boost but only for a moment, while fresh orange, pineapple, or mango juice can not only quench your thirst but also replenish lost bodily energy. If you want to snack out, go for fresh fruits or nuts. This, too, will help you eliminate the urge to eat more at dinner.
Since you’ve had a well-balanced meal during the day, you won’t feel as hungry anymore when nighttime comes. During dinner, try not to overeat, as having a full belly a few hours before going to bed might give you some hard time falling asleep. At the same time, having too much to eat at night will give your body some difficulty to digest food and your metabolism to function properly. Perhaps the best time to eat dinner is three to four hours before bedtime, so that your body will have enough time to digest your food and burn some unwanted fat.
It’s not easy to adjust to this kind of practice especially if you’re used to indulging your every food whim. However, once you get use to it, you will realize that the rewards your body will reap will surpass any difficult things you will undergo in the whole course. So what does healthy eating really mean? It means simplifying your eating habits; choosing the right kind of food, and eating them at the right time during the day. Not even the strictest of diet can help you achieve a healthy mind and body, but if you can provide your body with the nutrition it needs through healthy eating, you can enjoy a quality kind of life for a very long time.
