Weight loss: Eat whole foods 80-90% of the times
Highlights
- Weight loss: Surround yourself with healthy foods
- Limit your alcohol intake by using taller glasses
- Eat nutrient-dense, low-calorie whole foods most of the time
A long weekend has just gotten over. Some of you may have resumed work from today, wondering how complex and difficult it would be to get back to a healthy eating pattern. Well, fret not. The worst thing that you can do to yourself is feeling guilty for the fun you have on a vacation. And getting back to healthy eating and following a healthy lifestyle should really not be that much of a worry. All you need to do is just begin with it, without thinking too much as to how you're going to follow it or continue with it.
Healthy eating tips for beginners
Helping you with the concern of healthy eating and tips to follow it is nutritionist Nmami Agarwal on Instagram. She recently did a series on tips for beginners to follow healthy eating pattern. With some simple tricks that are very much doable, Agarwal actually decodes the formula to a fuss-free healthy eating and lifestyle pattern.
The first two guidelines included tips on how to eat whatever you want, even when you want to eat healthy, and how to control temptations and cravings. Here are the rest of the three guidelines:
1. How to control alcohol intake
For many of you, alcohol consumption could simply go way over the top than you thought it to be. Here's a simple thing you can do to control your alcohol intake- take a taller glass to make your drinks, instead of shorter, more broad ones. You will see that both the glasses actually contain the same amount of drink. Here's how using a taller glass to control your temptation can help you: "Our brain has the tendency to overestimate vertical things. When we drink in a tall glass, we think that the quantity is higher. It looks bigger to our eyes as compared to the shorter and broader glasses. You may actually drink lesser when you have it in a taller glass," says Agarwal.
Also read: Weight Loss: 5 Pro Tips That Can Help Beginners Start Exercising Without Fear
2. Eat whole foods 80-90% of the times
Now this may be an effective strategy to keep your weight under control. The term 'whole foods' generally describes anything that is natural and unprocessed, with only one ingredient. "If a particular product looks like it is made in a factory, it is probably not a whole food," explains Agarwal in the video shared below. Whole foods are nutrient-dense foods with fewer calories. Following a diet which has a majority of whole foods is an effective strategy to improve your health as well as lose weight, she asserts.
Also read: Healthy Eating Tips: 4 Ways To Make Healthy Choices While Eating Outside, As Recommended By A Fitness Trainer
3. Display healthy food items in a prominent place
For instance, you can place a jar of roasted chana or a mixture of rice puffs and nuts, near the front door or somewhere else where you pass by before leaving the house, the Delhi-based nutritionist recommends. "When you're hungry or in a rush, you tend to grab the first thing that you see. And remember the old saying - out of sight, out of mind-it works very well in this case," she says. The mind determines what it wants, based on what the eyes see. So, the healthier foods you surround yourself with, the more likely you are to eat healthy too. Ensure that all unhealthy foods are out of sight and display healthier foods around you.
Here are some healthy snacking options that you can surround yourself with:
- Roasted chana
- Roasted makhanas
- Fruits
- Air fried, homemade beetroot or zucchini chips
- Mixture of rice puffs with mixed nuts
- Seeds trail mix (pumpkin + watermelon seeds)
Remember that healthy eating does not infer being too hard on yourself. The key is to follow these simple tricks that can help you climb up the ladder of getting fitter and healthier.
Also read: Struggling To Follow A Diet? Follow These Expert Recommended Tips For Healthy Eating
(Nmami Agarwal is nutritionist at Nmami Life)
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.