Many of us have heard the same common sense tips for maintaining a healthy body since we were young. It always seemed we were given the same advice our parents got and many of our friends parents also. The reason these pieces of information stood the test of time is they were things all of us could implement. Following are seven tips anyone can follow to have a healthful body.
One of the most important things you can do is maintain a daily food log. There are a number of good reasons for this. If you are looking to lose weight, it is crucial to know how many calories you are consuming. In order to lose weight, you must create a caloric deficit. In other words, you must consume less calories than what your body burns on a daily basis. For someone looking to maintain their current body weight, then this documentation will help ensure a maintenance caloric level.
Although it may seem appealing, routinely eating at food buffets are not conducive to having a healthy body. Most people do not count calories or portion sizes when eating from a buffet. Since most are all you can eat, one tries to get their money’s worth. This usually results in severe binging and unnecessary weight gain.
Body builders and fitness enthusiasts have always advocated eating several small meals throughout the day in place of one or two large ones. There are several reasons for this. One is you will never experience starvation type hunger, which usually leads to binging. Another good reason to eat this way is it will provide you with steady energy through the day.
Protein is very important because it is the building block of muscles, skin, hair and nails. It is recommended you eat a serving of protein with most meals, since it contributes to feeling full. One of the most important reasons to increase your protein intake has to do with calories needed to digest protein. Your body uses more calories to digest protein then it does for carbohydrates or fats. Due to this you are actually ingesting less net calories with protein.
Planning your food consumption is paramount to living a healthy lifestyle. If you do not plan what you will be eating throughout the day, chances are extra calories and unhealthy foods will sneak up on you. Another issue will be hunger control. If you have no plan as to where, when and what to eat, you will find yourself starving in front of the fast food drive thru.
One important thing to avoid are sweets during breakfast. We have all been told breakfast is the most important meal of the day and eating a healthy breakfast will keep you energized. When you eat a breakfast full of sweets you experience a quick sugar rush of energy, followed by a loss of energy later.
Remember, it is important to drink six to eight glasses of water daily to maintain your health. Not only will enough water keep you hydrated, but also flush toxins from your body. For most of us, following these proven healthy lifestyle tips will keep our bodies healthy for life.