Eating healthy doesn’t have to be difficult. Maintaining your healthy and feeling your best is directly linked to eating right. Here are a few tips to help you get started.

1. Make time to cook

There is little or no time at all to cook when we are in a rush. So what’s the solution – set aside the time. This will mean on a Saturday or Sunday make it a priority to cook your meals and snacks for the week. Grill several chicken breast, cut up the vegetables and lightly steam them so you can easily add to a dish, hard boil some eggs for easy access. I also cut up my vegetables and put a serving in a baggies so I don’t have to take the time to peel and cut a carrot. It will already done for me. This will save you from reaching for a poor choice or driving through a unhealthy place.

Tip: I look at the ads to see what’s on sale that week and plan my menu around that. I try to get all I need in one shopping trip but that doesn’t always happen.

2. How you eat is just as important as what you eat

Yep, it’s just as important to think about how you are eating as it is to think about what you are eating. Slow down and enjoy what you are eating instead of gulping it down so fast that you hardly tasted it. Savior the flavors.

Tips: Take time to chew your food. Listen to your body and stop long before you are “full”.

3. If it’s good for you, it will go bad!

There is something wrong when the shelf live of the food we eat is for months or the expiration date is missing altogether. Those are the foods we need to stay far far away from. Instead, buy fresh produce that is colorful and different textures.

Tip: We have all heard about shopping the perimeter of the super market, right. Well it’s true, the healthier foods are not in the middle of the store where they will be for months and months. The healthy foods like produce, proteins, dairy and water are all on the perimeter of the store.

4. Don’t skip those healthy fats

We need a good source of healthy fats to nourish our bodies vital organs as well as your skin and hair. These fats need to be rich in Omega-3 that are found in fish, flaxseed oils and walnuts. Having a healthy fat will also make you feel more satisfied after eating. All those “non fat” foods are so full of other things like chemicals so they can save some calories. No thanks!

Tip: Add avocado to your sandwich instead of mayo. Eliminate processed foods like margarine, crackers, and other processed foods that are high in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

5. Drink more water

Our bodies are made of 70% water, not soda. We need the water to flush out the toxins and to keep us hydrated. So many people are going through life tired and have head-aches all due to not having enough water. You need to consume at least half your body weight in water a day.

Tip: Add lemon or cucumbers to your water for some flavor. Another thing I like to do is use a gallon jug and I know it needs to be empty by the end of the day.

Be Healthy!