Building a Healthy Diet: How to Get started

Building a healthy diet is a requirement for living a quality life.

A healthy diet in many ways can encourage growth in and around you.

It grants you the ability to move without restrictions, which enables you to effortlessly do the things that make you happy.

It also allows you to reach higher in self-awareness because physical change encourages growth in psychological attributes.

When people decide on building a healthy diet, most times they think of elimination.

I say a healthy diet caters to everything, and only changes the pattern in which you eat by focusing more on what your body needs yet leaving room for the foods you simply want. 

Before you know it, a lot of unhealthy foods would be eliminated naturally.

Building a healthy diet for yourself rather than adapting to a diet created by someone else, makes it easier for you to stay consistent and not feel like it is too much for where you are at.

Once you decide that making the switch to healthy eating is the right thing for you, it is time to start building your healthy diet.

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1

Declutter all your food storage

Kickstart your journey with some decluttering.

This will seem like a lot to do at first, but it will create space for you to think about your next move.

So, open your fridge, freezer, pantry, bread bins, etc., and begin sizing down on anything you know is unhealthy for you.

A small amount of everything is okay but large amounts of unhealthy foods available at your fingertips do not help with your journey at all.

While you are at it, check for expiration dates and pack your food in like groups.

Such as:

• Moving all the dairy products to one section of the fridge.
• Staple items such as rice, flour, and pasta to one section of the pantry, etc.,

This would later help with meal planning as a part of building a healthy diet.

2

Pick the healthier option at your next food shopping

For almost every food item, there is a healthy and unhealthy option.

Take caution in selecting the one that is best for you.

You do not have to do it all at once but choosing to switch out a few items at a time, can eventually transform your entire pantry.

Here are a few switches you can get started with:

White to whole wheat

The difference between white and whole wheat is the way in which the flour is processed before baking.

Whole wheat produced is complex carbs meaning they are highly nutritious and rich in fiber which aids in the proper breaking down of your food during digestion. Complex carbohydrates are also a great source of energy for the body as it burns at a slow and steady pace.

Switching out the everyday essentials like bread and crackers makes an easy start.

Whole wheat flour is a bit tricky to work with, in my opinion, so that can be a switch you make as you advance.

Frozen to home-cooked

The most effective switch you will ever make in your quest for good health is to choose home-cooked food over frozen or restaurant meals.

It not only saves money in the long run but also allows you to exercise control over each ingredient.

With home- cooking, you can also fully customize each meal to make sure that by the end of the day, you consume a little of all nutrients. 

3

Have a diet plan

The words diet plan tends to easily get confused with weight loss.

Having a diet plan does not mean you are trying to lose weight. It refers to the pattern in which you will consume your daily meals.

Everyone should have a fair idea of what they want their ideal healthy diet to look like.

You can decide to be a vegetarian, vegan, fruitarian, or whatever you want.

What matters is that you are providing your body with all the nutrients needed to maintain good health.

For many, the ideal diet plan would be to eat healthy without giving up anything.

That might sound like a joke, but it is very possible.

It requires eating what is called a Balanced Diet.

A balanced diet is the best kind of diet because it allows you to eat everything you desire.

It is not at all a gimmick because the trick is in the pattern in which you consume your daily meals.

Nevertheless, having a clear plan on what your diet should look like, makes it easy for you to plan your meals and even place your order at a restaurant.

If you are interested in learning more about eating a balanced diet, check out the FREE Training below. 

4

Pair healthy eating with healthy habits

Healthy habits range from exercising to sleeping but here we are focusing on the healthy habits related to eating.

Pairing your new habit of eating healthy can be upgraded when you begin pairing it with a few simple healthy habits.

First, I encourage you to continue eating snacks at the start of your new diet and it is okay if you want that snack to be a sweet dessert.

But opting for a healthy home-made snack instead of a sweet dessert will help you to break out of the habit of craving sugary foods.

Secondly, you know that with a healthy diet, juices are the better half of soda or Pop.

But store-bought juice can be quite sugary packed.

A good way to make sure you are consuming enough fruits is by opting for home-made fruit juices over store-bought ones.  

I do not want to mention the obvious, but I cannot go on without mentioning that you need to get into the habit of consuming more water.

A good tip is to find a portable bottle that you love and would not mind carrying around, keep it filled, and take it with you everywhere.

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In conclusion, building a Healthy Diet requires intentional planning.  

Plan for your meals, your snacks, your activities, and chances are that during all the planning, you will be able to see what you need to be doing and consuming more or less of.

Thank you for reading.

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