Have you been feeling bloated, heavy, or sluggish after letting your balanced diet go for a few months? Having a balanced diet isn’t all about losing weight. It is also about the way that food makes you feel and how that affects you physically, mentally, and emotionally. Having a balanced diet can improve your life in all these aspects. Here are a few tips for achieving a more balanced diet that you can maintain long term.
Reduce Simple Carb Intake
First of all, try to reduce your simple carb intake to achieve a more balanced diet. Simple carbohydrates are found in many sugars and are broken down very quickly by the body. This means that simple carbohydrates cause a spike in your blood sugar, providing you with a short burst of energy that can leave you feeling sluggish afterward. This sensation is usually termed a “sugar crash.” To feel better and eat healthier, reduce the simple carb intake in your diet. Simple carbs are found in foods such as candy, syrups, soft drinks, etc. There are also healthy simple carbs found in fruits, milk, grains, and more that are good to have in your balanced diet.
Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
Next, make sure to eat more fruit and vegetables daily. Most adults should be having around 2 cups of fruit each day and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables each day. Fruits and vegetables help balance out starch and protein in your diet. They contain fiber that will also help your gut and digestion to be healthier. They are also a great source of vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function properly and feel healthy. Eating fruits and vegetables can lower your risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, strokes, and more.
Avoid Sugary Beverages
Now, you probably spend a lot of time thinking about the foods that you’re eating. Maybe you’ve successfully decreased the number of donuts that you eat each week and increased the amount of fruit that you eat daily. However, are you giving any thought to the drinks that you consume? Sugary beverages can have a lot of detrimental effects on your health. Sugar-sweetened beverages include juices, teas, alcohol, carbonated sodas, and more. Even some drinks that are labeled as “healthy” have an inordinate amount of added sugars. These sugars can be harmful to your oral health, but they can also increase your blood pressure and risk of heart disease or diabetes. Make sure that you’re drinking sugary drinks sparingly to improve your balanced diet.
So, if you’re trying to achieve a more balanced diet to have a healthier body, both physically and mentally, remember this article. Make sure that you reduce your simple carb intake, eat more fruits and vegetables, and avoid sugary beverages. This will help you to create a balanced diet and lifestyle that is easy and rewarding to maintain.
Check out this article on factors that can affect your energy throughout the day!