Surrounding Yourself With Healthy Eating People is Good For Your Own Personal Habits

As the saying goes, things that are out of sight are out of mind, and this goes for food as it does for many other things. You may already have found that the best way to stop yourself from eating unhealthy foods is simply to keep the food that tempts you out of the house. However, you can take this a step further and spend your time with people who are eating food that is healthy as well. 

Eating right around other people who are committed to health is much easier than having to say no to a steady stream of chicken wings, pizza, fries and cake. Eating a healthier diet will come more naturally when your friends are doing the same thing. Being around healthy eaters also means you may get the chance to see several different models of healthy eating. Seeing how different approaches work for different people can help keep you from becoming locked into thinking rigidly about healthy food choices. For example, you might see how people can be healthy on a vegan or vegetarian diet as well as one that incorporates meat. You might get tips on how to incorporate treats into your diet without ruining it. 

You may also get inspiration for healthier eating. In particular, if you have not paid particular attention to your diet in the past, you might assume that healthy eating means that you will never be full or eat flavorful food again. You might assume that your choices of what you can eat will narrow significantly. Dining with other healthy eaters may introduce you to ingredients, cuisines and ways of approaching cooking that you have not considered. If you are unsure about vegan food or quinoa, you can have a taste of your friend's food without committing yourself to an entire meal. You may be surprised to learn how much variety and flavor is available when you switch to a healthy diet. Other healthy eaters may also be able to share tips about recipes and restaurants as well as the latest thinking in nutrition circles. 

People who are healthy eaters also tend to live healthier lifestyles in general. Therefore, being around healthy eating habits may result not just in eating better but in creating and maintaining other healthy habits. Thanks to your healthy eating buddies, you may find yourself also quitting smoking, cutting back on your alcohol consumption or starting to exercise. Among people who have healthy eating habits is also the best place to find companions to join you in that exercise. A walk around the block or through the park may seem a lot more appealing when you have someone to join you. 

When you surround yourself with other people who have healthy eating habits, you are taking a holistic approach to health. In other words, you will no longer see healthy eating as something that is somehow separate from the rest of your life but something that is integrated into it along with other healthy habits and healthy ways of thinking. If you have always been a healthy eater but not known many others who were, being around other people who have chosen the same lifestyle as you may feel like a revelation. If you are just getting started on healthy eating, others can be an important source of advice and reinforcement.

Portion Controlling Your Appetite a Good Habit for the New Year

New Year’s Eve is a traditional time of vows and resolutions, and losing weight is on the top of many lists. Making the changes that will allow people to be successful can be difficult however. Many of the health and weight loss resolutions made fail quickly, but they don’t have to. Here are some easy ways to enjoy more success with your resolution to change body weight and improve health.

Why a Healthy Weight Goal is So Important

The obesity epidemic in the world is scary. Health issues from excessive body weight include heart disease, lung problems, stress and anxiety as well as serious illness of vital organs. Limiting food is one way to lose weight, but it is often not successful. People who try to avoid certain favorite things end up cheating and giving up quickly. There are no side effects to losing weight, but giving up can cause some serious side effects that have fatal effects.

Solving Obesity with Portion Control

We are used to seeing portions that are way out of line with healthy eating habits. The first step to controlling food intake is to read nutritional labels so that you understand how many calories are in each serving, but if you are not eating the amount equal to what that product’s serving is, the values are way off. Dieting seems hard because so many people think they are doing what they are supposed to be doing, but are actually consuming a lot more calories daily than they should.

When creating foods, most people use measuring cups, spoons and scales to determine exact amounts, but leave all of that aside when they actually serve up the meals. Obesity rarely strikes just one person in a family. Most times one person cooks and serves the food and everyone eats everything on their plate. 

Avoid Confusion with Macro-Dieting

There are a lot of numbers on nutritional labels that really aren’t as important as others. One of the ways to get the most out of your plans to lose weight is to consider the macros. In macro-dieting you simply have to break down nutrients according to a few quick numbers: your calorie requirements, and how many of the key nutrients you need to fulfill that number in a healthy manner. The macro nutrients include carbohydrates, fat and protein. It isn’t hard. A simple macro plan involves eating 40/40/20, so on a 2000 calorie a day diet, you would need to consume 800 carbs, 800 proteins and 400 fats. Doing this takes the stress of the heart, lung and kidneys. It is a low fat protein method of reducing fat intake.

Then make sure the food you eat equal that amount by measuring serving sizes and it all gets easier. When eating by the macro plan you can eat a little of everything, which means you won’t feel deprived the way some diets leave you. When you cut back on stuff you love, you may feel like cheating, you want larger portions, and miss out on your favorite foods.

Make Eating Smaller Portions Easier

Use smaller plates when serving meals. The eyes play tricks on our brains, and this is one of the times that is a good thing. By eating off of smaller plates we feel fuller faster, and eat fewer carbohydrates which is great for the heart and vital organs. Maintaining a healthy weight takes more than dieting, but limiting calories is a big part of reaching your goals.

Choosing the Right Types of Protein

Making the right choice by adding low fat protein and reducing fat intake allows your body to take the importunity to lose weight. Making a New Year resolution is a good start. It shows you are goal oriented and ready to create the importunity for your body to get healthy. All you have to do is maintain portion control, eat a little of everything in a good way and remain goal oriented to be successful in the New Year with your new lifestyle.