How to be consistent with your nutrition

Eating healthy food long term can be a challenge for most people. With this in mind, it’s important not to feel guilty for eating fatty food as this can enable an unhealthy relationship with food. At the other end of the spectrum, restricting yourself too much or not eating enough calories will only push you to binge eat. The ultimate end goal is to create a healthy relationship with food so you can feel good within your everyday life. There are tips you can incorporate which helps you consume a more balanced diet, so you are absorbing the nutrients your body needs.

Eat the right amount of protein, greens and carbohydrates

It’s simple. If you don’t eat enough of each food group, you will either feel hungry all the time or sluggish, or a combination of both. This then pushes you to eat even worse. While eating right will help you to create your dream figure, the feeling, energy and health benefits that coincide with this naturally far outweighs “the look”. The balanced plate rule is a concept that dieticians and nutritionists explain as something we should look at when we meal plan or plate up our food. One quarter of your plate should be carbohydrates, one quarter should be lean protein and one half should be non-starchy vegetables. Healthy fats and dairy can also be added to your diet too, such as a blueberry protein smoothie with peanut butter in it, or a pita bread with chicken, salad and edam cheese. 

Eat multiple small meals throughout the day 

Starving your body or simply being really busy and not eating enough can be extremely bad for your body. Not eating enough can be just as bad as overeating. Not only can undereating cause fatigue and other health issues, but it can then make your body feel the need to only binge eat carby and fatty food when you get the chance. Due to your body being in starvation mode, it will want to consume anything that will instantly fill them up and cure their craving. It’s instead recommended to have 5-6 meals a day to prevent your metabolism from slowing down. Ensure you also learn the minimum amount of calories your body should be eating and stick to this. 

Allow exceptions and try find healthy alternatives for your cravings

The all or nothing approach can have contradictory effects. Because you are trying to cut certain foods and foods you enjoy altogether, it can result in it being extremely difficult to follow a nutritious diet. When the mind constantly thinks of what it can’t have, well, it wants it more. We want what we can’t have – that’s human nature. You should allow yourself to have the foods you enjoy but within a balanced diet. You can also have these meals more frequently but with healthier alternatives. Do you research and find meals that have less calories than the usual treat meals but give you a similar fulfillment. You’d be surprised at what you can find. When you start to have your cravings, incorporate these meals into your plan.

The Author:

Olivia Fairhurst is a content manager for The Uniform Centre, an online uniform shop stocking workwear and work clothes in NZ. 

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