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A Beginner’s Guide to Good Nutrition

cookingGood nutrition is an essential part of living a healthier life.

But eating nutritiously isn’t just a matter of eating fruits and vegetables. You’ve got to eat a balanced diet that works for your unique lifestyle. It’s also important to control your appetite and avoid overeating.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the average American diet exceeds the recommended intake levels of the following categories, “calories from solid fats and added sugars; refined grains; sodium; and saturated fat.”

Are you just starting to consider a nutritious diet?

Read on for our beginner’s guide to good nutrition!

Avoid Processed Foods

Walk around your local grocery store and you are bound to find hundreds of processed food options.

Foods like potato chips, certain meats and cheeses are just some of the processed foods you should avoid. Processed foods are often high in calories and provide a limited amount of nutritious value.

In order to limit your fat intake, you should cut these out of your diet. If you can’t bring yourself to give up these foods completely, eat them sparingly from time to time.

Eat Smaller Portions More Often

When you overeat, you put more food in your body than it can process. This can be what contributes to fat being stored and limiting your ability to lose weight.

Instead of eating the three ‘traditional’ meals of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, try decreasing portion size and eating more often.

This is a good alternative to using diet pills and supplements to help you control your weight.

Try eating six smaller portions throughout the day. In order to curb hunger, include foods like chicken, which is high in protein and low in fat. Also try to include natural yogurt for digestion, and fresh fruits and vegetables for energy.

Eating smaller portions will take some adjusting at first, but doing this will allow your body to make the most of the nutrients in each meal.

Drink Lots of Water

Your nutritious diet doesn’t end with what you eat. You should also drink lots of water.

Your body is made up of 60% water and water helps regulate your digestion, hydration, and circulation, among others. But the benefits of drinking water don’t stop there.

When you drink a glass of water before a meal, you will find that you eat less. This helps your portion control and prevents overeating.

Choosing to drink water more often helps you limit your intake of sodas and other sugary drinks. Those should be eliminated from your diet as much as possible, as they can help contribute to fat retention.

Good Nutrition Works

When you make changes to your lifestyle, it takes discipline and a willingness to adapt.

But taking the time to pay attention to what you are eating and drinking (and how much of it at a time) will be an important part of living healthier.

Being nutritious is also just one way to be healthy. You should also try to be physically active to maximize the benefits of your new way of life!

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