Welcome to Healthy Eating

What Does It Mean to Eat Healthy?

Healthy eating diets are a very popular trend these days. They focus on replacing unhealthy junk foods with fresh, whole alternatives. Junk foods have often lost much of their nutritional value in order to make them last longer or taste better. Not only that, they may also contain additives or preservatives that have a negative impact on your health with regular consumption.

Here’s some more info on the Healthy eating lifestyle, as well as some tips for “Healthying up” your diet if needed.

Who Started Healthy Eating?

While the idea of eating whole foods to stay healthy was certainly not new at the time, it gained in popularity in 2007 when the Eat-Healthy Diet Book was published by bestselling author and fitness model Tosca Reno. The book detailed the “eat-Healthy” diet that she stuck to in order to get in shape for a bodybuilding competition. The popularity of the book lead to ten more titles in the Eat-Healthy series being published.

Stay Away from Sugar

The first step to take in order to eat a more Healthy diet is to cut out sugar as much as possible. Regularly eating sugar or foods that contain high-fructose corn syrup can lead to weight gain and diabetes, among other things.

Cutting sugar out of your diet completely won’t be easy. Just about every sweet, junk snack food on the market includes some sugar. But, when you’re in the mood for something sweet, reach for some fruit rather than candy or sweets.

Drink Plenty of Water

When you feel thirsty, water is the healthiest drink to reach for. Try to drink at least two liters of water every day. You may want to buy a reusable water bottle to help encourage you to drink more.

Soda and sports drinks both come with a lot of added sugar (not to mention the acid found in soda, which softens tooth enamel). An occasional glass of fruit or vegetable juice is a healthy drink alternative. Just make sure that you look for juice made from real fruits and vegetables.

Check the Labels

When in doubt about a certain food, check the nutrition facts and ingredient list carefully. Make sure that the bulk of the ingredients listed are organic and not artificial or junk. Some foods may say that they are “organic” on the label, but actually only be made in part with organic ingredients.

While there are many different ideas of what exactly encompasses Healthy eating, the basic principle of skipping junk foods in favor of organic ones is of great benefit to your body.

Even if junk foods have had nutrients added in to replace what they’ve lost during processing, they are not as healthy as the real versions. Next time you go to the store, try to buy as many of your ingredients as possible from the organic aisle rather than the canned goods aisle. Not only will all of your meals taste better, they’ll also be better for your health.