7. Start Eating Meat or Fish and Plenty of Vegetables For Dinner
Now it’s time to transform another one of your daily meals… dinner.
Replace whatever it is that you’re eating with a meal based on either meat or fish, along with plenty of nutritious vegetables.
I find that dinner is the easiest meal to fit in plenty of veggies.
If you enjoy starches (like potatoes or rice) with dinner, then feel free to eat those too.
Definitely try to eat fatty fish at least 1-2 times per week for all the super healthy Omega-3s. If you can’t or won’t eat fatty fish, then supplement with fish oil.
Bottom Line: Start eating a healthy dinner based on meat or fish, with plenty of vegetables. Try to eat fatty fish at least 1-2 times per week.
Replace whatever it is that you’re eating with a meal based on either meat or fish, along with plenty of nutritious vegetables.
I find that dinner is the easiest meal to fit in plenty of veggies.
If you enjoy starches (like potatoes or rice) with dinner, then feel free to eat those too.
Definitely try to eat fatty fish at least 1-2 times per week for all the super healthy Omega-3s. If you can’t or won’t eat fatty fish, then supplement with fish oil.
Bottom Line: Start eating a healthy dinner based on meat or fish, with plenty of vegetables. Try to eat fatty fish at least 1-2 times per week.
8. Match Carb Intake to Your Metabolic Health and Activity Levels
Carbs are a highly controversial nutrient.
Some think the biggest part of our diet should be coming from carbs, while others think they are downright toxic.
As with most things, the truth is somewhere in between and depends greatly on the individual.
The optimal carb intake for any one individual depends on many factors… including metabolic health, activity levels, food culture and personal preference.
Whereas someone who is lean, healthy and lifts weights 5 times a week may function well eating a lot of carbs, someone who is overweight and doesn’t exercise much will probably do better with a low-carb diet.
Although there is no scientific paper that explains exactly how to match carbohydrate intake to individual needs, I’ve personally found these guidelines to be effective:
Bottom Line: Some people function best eating plenty of carbohydrates. For others, low-carb diets have life saving benefits. It’s important to match carbohydrate intake to your individual needs and preferences.
Some think the biggest part of our diet should be coming from carbs, while others think they are downright toxic.
As with most things, the truth is somewhere in between and depends greatly on the individual.
The optimal carb intake for any one individual depends on many factors… including metabolic health, activity levels, food culture and personal preference.
Whereas someone who is lean, healthy and lifts weights 5 times a week may function well eating a lot of carbs, someone who is overweight and doesn’t exercise much will probably do better with a low-carb diet.
Although there is no scientific paper that explains exactly how to match carbohydrate intake to individual needs, I’ve personally found these guidelines to be effective:
- 100-150 grams: People who are lean, healthy and physically active (some people may need even more than this).
- 50-100 grams: People who are overweight and/or don’t exercise much.
- 20-50 grams: People who have a lot of weight to lose, or have metabolic problems like type 2 diabetes.
Bottom Line: Some people function best eating plenty of carbohydrates. For others, low-carb diets have life saving benefits. It’s important to match carbohydrate intake to your individual needs and preferences.
9. Take Care of Your Lifestyle… Emphasizing Adequate Sleep and Reduced Stress Levels
Often overlooked, sleep and stress levels can have a major effect on your health.
Studies show that not getting enough sleep is strongly linked to many serious diseases, including obesity (34, 35).
Short sleep duration may actually be one of the strongest risk factor for weight gain. It is linked to a 55% increased risk of obesity in adults and 89% in children (36).
There are many ways to improve sleep… such as sleeping in a completely dark room, avoiding caffeine in the afternoon and evening, as well as maintaining a consistent sleep schedule.
Another major lifestyle factor is chronic stress.
Excess stress raises your levels of the hormone cortisol, which can make you gain a lot of fat in the abdominal cavity and raise your risk of all sorts of health problems down the line (37, 38).
Unfortunately, stress can be hard to deal with. Many of us are overwhelmed with various duties and worries.
Meditation can help with this, but if you are severely stressed all the time and can’t find a way to change it on your own, then it may be a good idea to seek professional help.
Bottom Line: Lifestyle factors like getting adequate sleep and avoiding chronic stress are incredibly important for optimal health, but often overlooked.
Studies show that not getting enough sleep is strongly linked to many serious diseases, including obesity (34, 35).
Short sleep duration may actually be one of the strongest risk factor for weight gain. It is linked to a 55% increased risk of obesity in adults and 89% in children (36).
There are many ways to improve sleep… such as sleeping in a completely dark room, avoiding caffeine in the afternoon and evening, as well as maintaining a consistent sleep schedule.
Another major lifestyle factor is chronic stress.
Excess stress raises your levels of the hormone cortisol, which can make you gain a lot of fat in the abdominal cavity and raise your risk of all sorts of health problems down the line (37, 38).
Unfortunately, stress can be hard to deal with. Many of us are overwhelmed with various duties and worries.
Meditation can help with this, but if you are severely stressed all the time and can’t find a way to change it on your own, then it may be a good idea to seek professional help.
Bottom Line: Lifestyle factors like getting adequate sleep and avoiding chronic stress are incredibly important for optimal health, but often overlooked.