Do you want to start taking care of yourself? At an age, many people begin to notice that their metabolism and their body no longer works the same as before and, while in their youth they could eat almost what they wanted without hardly resenting, now bad digestions, inflammation of the stomach or cholesterol begins to play a trick on them. That's when they decide that the time has come to take care of themselves and bet on a healthier and more beneficial life for the body, but where to start? In this article we are going to tell you how to start taking care of yourself to live better with a series of tips that will help you turn your life around and have a much stronger and healthier body.
The importance of food
There is a phrase that faithfully sums up the secret to having a healthy life: “We are what we eat.” And there is nothing truer than this statement since, from food, it is from where we get our source of energy that is basic to be able to function correctly in our day to day and be better both inside and out. Therefore, food is essential to achieve healthy living and improve internal processes, as well as prevent the appearance of cholesterol or other conditions related to a poor diet.
So, if you want to start taking care of yourself to live better you have to take into account these rules that are the bases on which you have to carve your diet from now on.
Eat 5 times a day
In order to start taking care of yourself to live better it is important that you avoid overloading your digestive system at lunch or dinner time with a large amount of food and copious food that you will not be able to digest correctly. For this reason, it is recommended that the main meals of the day be divided into 5 or 6 lighter intakes that help us satiate the appetite but that, in addition, will activate our metabolism by making it work for more hours a day.
Reduces fat and sugars
If you want to start taking care of yourself, you have to stop consuming excessively those foods that are not very nutritious and that, however, provide us with a large amount of fats, sugars or toxins that accumulate in the body. So, you have to stop consuming fried, battered, sauces, pastries, etc., to start taking other healthier and lighter dishes. If you want to improve the flavor of your recipes, we recommend that you try the spices or aromatic herbs that will achieve a surprising result without providing you with toxins.
Light dinner
In order to enjoy a healthy life, it is also important that you understand that food is not only a pleasure but is our source of energy, therefore, we do not need the same amount of energy early in the day as at night, when all we will do is prepare to sleep. So, at dinner time you have to bet on those foods that are more hypocaloric such as vegetables or low-fat proteins and reserve carbohydrates for the rest of the day. In this other article we tell you what are the best foods for dinner.
Drink 2 liters of water a day
It is essential that you increase your daily water consumption to reach a liter and a half or two liters. This habit will help you cleanse your body, reduce the presence of toxins and eliminate fluid retention. In addition, it will also hydrate our body making all the organs work better. In this other article we help you know how to drink two liters of water a day.
Obviously, you should put aside bad habits such as drinking alcohol frequently, smoking, taking drugs, etc. It is best to completely eliminate these habits but, if you do not see yourself capable, at least reduce them to the maximum to take care of your body effectively.
Include fruits and vegetables to be healthier
Within all the food groups that exist, fruits and vegetables are one of the most beneficial because they are highly nutritious ingredients, low in saturated fats and that provide us with few calories, therefore, we can include them at any time of the day without exceeding daily calories. In addition, they provide us with great vitamins and minerals that help our body to be strong and healthy.
Therefore, we recommend that you try to include fruits and / or vegetables in all meals of the day and, for example, distribute your day as follows:
- Piece of fruit of the time: at breakfast, mid-morning and afternoon at snack time
- Varied vegetables: at lunch and dinner try to incorporate different varieties of vegetables to enjoy a complete diet (for example, a varied salad, sautéed vegetables, etc.)
Although it seems complicated, the truth is that eating fruits and vegetables daily is much easier than it may seem, you just have to change your habits and, for example, instead of eating a meat dish with potatoes, opt for that same meat dish but with vegetables or accompanied by a good salad.
In this other article we tell you why it is good to eat fruits and vegetables so that you understand why we are always recommended to take these foods if we want to start taking care of ourselves.
The best foods to start taking care of yourself
To be able to start taking care of yourself to live better you have to take into account that NOT all foods are equally beneficial for health and that, therefore, we will have to prioritize and bet on a healthy diet that includes the best options for the future of our body. For example, swelling to eat sausages or hamburgers is not at all a healthy habit, nor is eating cookies or chocolate every day.
So, in order to start living a healthier life we recommend that you redesign your diet and your shopping list to limit some products and start buying others much more beneficial, such as the following.
Low-fat proteins
Eating pork loin every day, beef steaks or sausages such as chorizo or bacon is not an unhealthy habit because these meat pieces are very greasy, caloric and can increase cholesterol as well as affect our heart rate due to an excessive accumulation of fat. Failing that, you should opt for more beneficial foods such as lean meats, that is, chicken, turkey and rabbit and take, from time to time, the other varieties.
In the case of fish, any variety can be beneficial to health although, in general, it is recommended not to take more than 2 or 3 times a week the blue fish as they are the most fatty and caloric.
In the case of dairy, it is recommended that you opt for those that are skimmed or semi-skimmed version since their fat intake is much lower without, therefore, losing their interesting nutrients. If you can, you can also opt for vegetable dairy such as soy, oats, etc., which are also interesting sources of protein without providing us with saturated fats.
Whole grain carbohydrates
Foods such as pasta, rice, cereals, etc., are essential for a healthy diet since this group of foods provides us with a great source of energy as well as numerous nutrients that will help us live in a much healthier way.
But among all the varieties of hydrates, you will have to bet on those that are integral because, thus, you ensure that they provide you with some nutrients and components such as fiber. Keep in mind that those who are white is because they have gone through a refinement process during which they have lost a large amount of nutrients and, failing that, their contribution in sugars has increased.
Get active to start living better
To start taking care of yourself, it is also essential thatyou put aside a sedentary lifeand start activating your body constantly with the practice of exercise or activities that start your circulatory system, cardiovascular and your muscles. Experts recommend that, at least, 30 minutes a day we are active, that is, that we walk, go by bicycle, do some sports class, and so on.
In the event that we cannot be active daily half an hour, then it is recommended that more intensive training be carried out during the week spread over 3 or 5 days for a minimum time of 45 minutes; thus, we will be able to take care of our health by accustoming the body to physical exercise by building greater cardiac resistance as well as stronger muscles.
30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise
It is recommended that to have a cardiac system in perfect condition, you dedicate at least 30 minutes to do a cardiovascular exercise that can be of low or high intensity, depending on the condition of each one. Walking, cycling, doing an aerobics class, running, etc., are the activities that put our cardiovascular system into operation.
20 minutes of toning
To be able to start taking care of yourself it is also important that you take care of your muscles and, therefore, in a training day you also focus on toning and strengthening your body. Therefore, doing weights, sit-ups, squats, etc., is a great idea to improve your physical health both externally and internally.
