The beginning of the year is the time when people are most inspired to change their eating habits.

As we mentioned in a previous post, Start the new year with Healthier habits, there are several ways to transform your routine and start the year with an open mind to changes and opportunities.

One of the topics mentioned was Healthy Eating – one of the points that most influence a human being's routine – whether on mood or well-being and even self-esteem.

If you plan to change your habits in 2023, check out our post mentioned above, and as a complement, the tips we brought here today!

Plan your meals for the week

One of the first tasks when starting to change your eating habits is to plan how this will affect your daily life. To make this moment more practical and less traumatic, how about creating a schedule with the menu for the week? This way you can vary the dishes and have everything organized for preparation on the right day, or even prepare everything in just one day and leave it in lunch boxes ready.

This process will also help you resist the temptation to buy treats.

“It may seem tiring, but over time you will realize that the routine will become calmer and more practical, keeping in mind what to eat, making conscious choices and without acting on impulse in the rush of the routine.”

Avoid refined sugar

We know that one of the biggest villains of human health is sugar, right? Its consumption is important for our Body, but in moderate quantities, as excess can trigger various diseases. Little by little, it is possible to reduce your consumption, being a great first step for anyone who wants to feel healthier.

You can replace that sweet after lunch with light and refreshing fruits, such as orange, pineapple, melon and watermelon, which also help with the absorption of vitamins after meals. Also keep an eye on processed Food labels to check the amount of added sugar.

Give preference to natural sweeteners such as stevia or brown or demerara sugar, which are less refined than common white sugar and are less harmful to your health.

Avoid ultra-processed foods

Another very important point to avoid is the consumption of ultra-processed foods, that is, foods that go through several industrial processes before reaching our table. They are: soft drinks, ready-made frozen foods, sweets, cookies and the like.

Excessive consumption can cause several health problems, just like sugar, as these foods contain a large amount of artificial colors, preservatives and flavor enhancers.

Natural food

Don't know where to start a more balanced diet, with nutritious and practical foods? How about starting with the basic beans and rice, which make up the majority of Brazilian dishes on a daily basis, in a healthy and nutritious way.

Fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, eggs and low-fat meats are the best ingredients to ensure a balanced menu, in a healthier routine.

“Include these foods, which can be prepared in different ways, raw, cooked, roasted, stewed and gratined. All this to ensure a good variety on the menu, without getting bored or repeating recipes frequently.”

Try new dishes! Our taste buds change and we need to update ourselves and learn about ingredients that will bring benefits to our health in the long term, in addition to the flavor and pleasure of eating.

This point is valid for all meals of the day, which should be eaten at shorter intervals and in smaller quantities, to keep the body functioning well and without that feeling of bloating.

Drink a lot of water

To have a healthier life, our body needs to stay hydrated, with at least 2 liters of water per day.

It is essential for keeping the body functioning correctly, in addition to helping the intestine function and the absorption of nutrients throughout the body.

It is also very important to keep our skin hydrated, balanced and to refresh on the hottest days.

Powerful foods for a healthier routine

In recent years, many scientists have discovered many nutritional properties in some foods, which can be included in our daily lives, bringing more satiety, fiber for digestion, antioxidants to keep cells alive and healthy, and also improving the system. immunological, reducing the propensity to various communicable diseases. The best known and most talked about are: flaxseed, quinoa, amaranth, oats, chia, chestnuts and walnuts, ginger, cinnamon, saffron, eggs and coconut oil.

Eat slowly

In addition to carefully choosing the ingredients you will use in your recipes, for a healthier routine, eating slowly and consciously is essential to complete this process.

“This allows the correct absorption of nutrients by the body, helps with digestion and allows the body to better identify the flavors and aromas of food, helping the brain to recognize satiety and satisfaction from consumption.”

With all these tips, it’s now possible to change your habits little by little, right? Remember that each step matters to modify your routine, ensuring better health, longevity and quality of life. Furthermore, inventing new dishes and recipes is a great way to bring the family together, discover flavors and use creativity.

Written by: Thaís Xavier | EighteenWith P