5 Tips to Cleaning Up Your Diet
With spring now in full swing, people are more so thinking about how to clean up; from cleaning your room or car to airing out your house, there are many ways to spring clean. Another way to think about spring cleaning is cleaning up eating habits. So, what are some tips for spring cleaning your food choices?
Overhauling Your Pantry
When thinking about spring cleaning habits, the first thing to do is overhaul your pantry. The pantry is the first place you can always look for when trying to eliminate trans fats and preservatives and to regulate sodium and sugar. Highly processed foods can lead to overeating and consuming an excess of chemicals, fats, and sodium. Instead of using canned ingredients, try using fresh ingredients.
Choosing the Right Proteins, Carbs, and Fats
It is important to choose the right proteins, carbs, and fats. Lean proteins help to grow strong muscles, repair body tissue and keep you feeling fuller longer. These proteins include tofu, eggs, beans, lean meats, and unsalted nuts. When choosing carbs, choose complex carbohydrates over simple carbohydrates. Complex carbs take longer for your body to break down into sugar, giving you a higher energy boost. These carbs include whole grain pasta, couscous, brown rice, and oatmeal. Unsaturated fats can also help your body feel satisfied and can help lower bad cholesterol and work to reduce the risk of heart disease. Healthy unsaturated fats include avocados, unsalted nuts, and olive oil.
Reducing Sodium
Although sodium is found in almost everything, it is important to try to reduce the amount of sodium in your diet. Consuming excessive amounts of sodium can increase your blood pressure as it holds excess fluid in the body. It can also increase the risk of stroke, heart failure, osteoporosis, stomach cancer, and kidney disease. While the average American consumes more than 3,400 milligrams of sodium per day, health officials only recommend 2,300 milligrams per day. You can lower sodium intake by eating fresh vegetables, lean proteins, fresh fruits, herbs, spices, and other natural flavorings, and products that are listed as low or reduced sodium.
With the new season upon us, it is now the time to think about spring cleaning eating habits. For more information about getting healthier this spring, call Pain and Spine Specialists today to make your appointment.
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