Your health is your wealth and everything in between. Busy fathers, brothers and boyfriends could all benefit from taking better care of themselves. The first place to start with recreating a new and exciting you is in the kitchen. Diet plays an important role to live longer and stronger and diminish the risk of health problems later in life. Every bite counts, so be sure to do your best and watch what you eat.
The foods we eat often contain hidden sugars, fats and an overload of calories. Eat smart and help your heart with a few simple dietary rules to cut the fat, caloric intake, cholesterol and excess sugars.
1. Fruit Juices
Condensed juices may contain a high concentrate of fructose or corn syrup. To cut the calories and reduce your blood sugar to a healthier level, you may opt for a fresh beverage straight from your kitchen counter top. A home juicer comes in two styles. One type pulverizes the content, thus adding fiber to a natural fruit drink, and the other option is a juice strainer that discards the pulp. Both kitchen juicers promote equal nutritional value, however the pulverizing model will add life giving fiber to your diet. Make your own custom juice drinks with apples, strawberries, a little water, vanilla soy milk, a banana and protein powder.
2. Bake and Broil
Beef, chicken and fish can be a healthy meal when you cook without adding fat. Fried foods can wreak havoc on the colon and should be prepared sparingly or reserved for a special night out. Instead, broil or bake your daily dishes and add bread crumbs or seasoning to add flavor. If you must have a buttery taste, replace the fat with an olive oil margarine, which does not contain cholesterol.
3. Alcohol
Wine and many of your favorite cocktails contain high sugar levels and empty calories. A trick to have your night out and not feel deprived is to alternate one alcoholic beverage with a non-alcohlic drink. You may opt for bottled water, a fruit juice from the bar or a virgin drink that looks like the real deal. Excessive alcohol consumption is responsible for an expanding waistline, sometimes so subtle that we never knew what hit us.
4. Snacking
It is easy to snatch and grab a quick snack whether you feel hungry or not. When you feel like snacking, your body is telling you that it craves energy and a quick pick up. Not all snack food is taboo and you can train your taste buds to do the right thing. Instead of potato chips, opt for unsalted pretzels. Instead of sugary donuts, try a fruity yogurt. The best solution to snacking at work is to bring your own comfort foods and resist the vending machine habit. Pack an apple with chunky peanut butter, cut up a cantaloupe, or help yourself to a bag of sweet red grapes to keep you going between meals.
5. Slow Down That Fork Action
The best kept secret to eating less and feeling full is to slow down your meal. When you are living life in the fast lane, it is easy to keep that pace right down to your plate of food. By slowing down the eating process, your brain has time to trigger a sense of fullness and satisfaction and your caloric intake will drop at every meal. Eat slowly with a newspaper, conversation or when watching TV. As soon as you feel full, know that you are done. This will reduce the cravings for dessert, second portions and the need for speed to eat everything on your plate.