Menu
You can make small changes to your diet, and it will make a huge difference to your health. Knowing how to get the maximum nourishment out of your foods can be complicated. That’s why we have compiled a list of 8 guidelines to keep you eating efficiently and effectively.
The ideal breakfast is made up of green vegetables, green juices and low-sugar fruits. These are non-acid producing, light alkalising foods. For the same reason, try to avoid drinking coffee, soft drinks, tea, and iced drinks, especially in the morning.Aim for simple combinations of food. This means you shouldn’t combine carbohydrates and proteins in the same meal. Eating only one concentrated food per meal helps prevent overeating.Don’t overeat. Eat slowly, and make sure to chew all your food thoroughly. Generally, it is best to chew until the food is a liquid. Avoid snacking in between meals; your body could use the break! And of course, don’t eat if you are not hungry.Don’t be afraid to add high-quality oils to your diet. These can include olive oil, primrose oil, UDO oil and flaxseed oil.Try to have a peaceful mind at mealtimes. Don’t eat when you’re feeling stressed. Also avoid eating when you are tired or upset, as this can affect digestion. Similarly, don’t force yourself to eat when you are feeling ill.While water is great for your body, it is best not to drink water during meals. Try to separate your meals from your drinks by at least ten minutes.As much as possible, try to eat organic food. Avoid refined, frozen, or canned foods. You should also limit your intake of condiments, vinegar, and alcohol.Avoid condensed foods before bedtime – especially animal proteins.You might be surprised to find out that the wrong food combinations can hinder your ability to digest properly.
When this happens, your body might not get the vital nutrients that it needs. In fact, the improperly digested food may even harm the body by producing harmful toxins that strain your cells and organs. Over time, this can compromise your health and put you at higher risk for disease.
Eating food in the right combinations allows your body to easily and completely digest what you eat. That means you will also be able to absorb more nutrients. As a result, you will have more energy and stay healthier.If you want to have a healthy heart, you should have a low-fat diet, at least according to the American Heart Association.
In contrast, the Mediterranean diet – which is rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, and fish – is relatively high in fat. In spite of this, following a Mediterranean diet has been shown to significantly reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer. One possible reason for this is that while the Mediterranean diet gets about 30% or more of its calories from fat, only about 8% of this is from saturated fat. Saturated fat is the type of fat that can lead to heart attacks when deposited on the artery walls. Indeed, the Mediterranean diet has even been shown to increase your chances of survival after getting a heart attack. Plus, unlike conventional drug therapies, following a Mediterranean diet has no harmful side effects.
Of all the studies concerning Mediterranean diets, the most famous is perhaps the Lyon Diet and Heart Study. The goal of this study was to determine whether following a Mediterranean diet could provide some benefits after patients have suffered their first heart attack. After following subjects for 4 years, researchers found that people who ate a Mediterranean diet were 50-70% less likely to have another heart attack.
Photo credits: freepik.com