10 Healthy Habits To Follow To Eat Smarter and Healthier in 2023

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IMAGE SOURCE: PEXELS

Do you want to adopt a healthy lifestyle for the new year? We know that taking care of our health is one of the essential things we should do in order to lead a happy life. Many of us struggle to follow through on this resolution every new year. Practicing how to make healthier food choices is one of the easy ways to start. Good nutrition is essential to our overall health, and making small changes will help us reach our goals. To help, here are 10 habits to follow in 2023 if you want to eat smarter and healthier. Take a look!

RELATED: 15 Healthy Breakfast Meal Ideas To Try Right Now

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How Healthy Eating Can Help You Avoid Chronic Diseases

Most people know that eating healthy is good for you, but what exactly does that mean? Eating healthy means eating more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats. It also means reducing the amount of saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium in your diet. Healthy eating can help you avoid chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes. These diseases are common in the United States, but they don't have to be if you make healthy choices now.

A recent study issued in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people who ate a diet mainly consisting of vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes had lower risks of developing type 2 diabetes than people who ate less plant-based foods. A plant-based diet was also associated with lower body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight relative to height.

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Top Tips For Healthy Eating Habits

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01) Don't Skip Breakfast

Breakfast time is the most important meal of the day and the easiest to forget about. But eating breakfast gets your metabolism going for the day, which helps you burn more calories throughout the day. It enables you to feel fuller longer, so you're less likely to overeat later in the day. And it can even help control your blood sugar levels — meaning that eating something healthy at breakfast can help keep you from craving sugar (like cookies) later in the day.

02) Eat More Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

Fruit and veggies are low in calories and considered nutrient-dense foods. They are a great source of antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. These foods should be the foundation of any healthy diet plan because they have so many health benefits. They help prevent heart disease and stroke by lowering blood pressure and reducing cholesterol levels. They also reduce certain cancer risks by providing antioxidants that defend cells from damage caused by free radicals in the body. And finally, eating enough fresh fruit and vegetables each day helps control weight gain because they have fewer calories than other foods.

Our Favorite Grocery Stores To Buy Fresh Produce:

• Aldi

• Whole Foods

• Wegmans

• Farmers Market

03) Practice Intuitive Eating

You don't have to believe in the idea of intuitive eating to benefit from its principles. The practice is about making food choices based on your body's needs, rather than external factors like your emotions, mood, or environment. It can be a way to find a healthy balance between eating for enjoyment and eating for health.

The basic tenets of intuitive eating are:

• Eat when you're hungry, and stop when you're full.

• Eat slowly and pay attention to the food you eat.

• Honor your nutritional needs; eat mindful of nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, and fats.

• Choose foods that satisfy you and make you feel good physically and emotionally.

04) Don't Eat Too Much Red Meat

Red meat is high in cholesterol & saturated fat, and this can increase your risk of heart disease. Limit red meat to no more than three times per week, or substitute it with chicken, fish, or lean protein.

Easy Healthy Meals With NO Red Meat

• Cilantro Lime Shrimp Lettuce Wraps (get the recipe here)

• Air Fryer Orange Chicken (get the recipe here)

• Chicken & Veggie Casserole (get the recipe here)

• Spinach & Feta Scrambled Egg Pitas (get the recipe here)

05) Drink Enough Water

Drinking water can help you feel full and keep you from overeating. It's recommended that you should drink at least eight glasses of water daily or more if you get thirsty throughout the day.

Amazon Top Pick: Large Half Gallon 64 OZ Motivational Water Bottle (Shop Here)

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06) Limit Your Sodium Intake

Most Americans consume more daily sodium than they need. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise that adults ingest less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium daily for better health. An excess of sodium can lead to high blood pressure (hypertension), which increases your risk for heart disease and stroke.

Low-sodium foods that actually taste good:

• Fresh Fruits like oranges and bananas

• Unsalted nuts, yogurt, and pasta

• Canned vegetables with no salt added 

• whole-grain pasta and couscous

• Whole-grain bread, bagels, English muffins, and tortillas

07) Choose Whole Grains Instead of Refined Grains

During processing, refined grains lose their bran and germ layers, resulting in a higher glycemic index (GI) rating than whole grains; thus, they impact blood sugar levels more than unprocessed grains. Choose whole grains instead, such as brown rice over white rice or quinoa over couscous, for example.

Here are some healthy whole foods to opt for:

• Raw Fruits (like strawberries & apples)

• Carrots

• Broccoli

• Lean Meat

• Salmon

• Shrimp

• Chicken Breasts

• Almonds

• Chia Seeds

• Brown Rice

• Wild Rice

• Oats

• Green Beans

08) Ditch Solid Fats

The first thing that you need to try and do is ditch any fats that are solid when at room temperature. Science has shown time and time again that low-grade inflammation is a silent killer and that it can easily contribute to cardiovascular disease and even type 2 diabetes. If you want to try and combat this, you need to try and reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet. Healthy fats such as sunflower oil or even canola oil stay liquid when they are stored in the cupboard, so opt for these and only use what you need.

Food items with healthy fat:

• Raw Pumpkin Seeds (grab now)

• Nature’s Bounty Fish Oil 1200 mg (grab now)

• Mori-Nu Silken Tofu Extra Firm (grab now)

• Healthy Harvest Non-GMO Sunflower Cooking Oil (grab now)

09) Understand the Power of Nuts

Hazelnuts, pecans, cashews, and almonds are full of great nutrients. This includes fiber, potassium, folic acid, and even Vitamin E. Although nuts tend to be very high in fat, you must know that this is primarily unsaturated. It's an excellent choice if you want to start eating healthier. If you want to help yourself, make sure that nuts are on your grocery list. They tend to be high in calories, so if you have them, ensure they are in place of other snacks and not being consumed.

Our favorite healthy nuts:

• PLANTERS Cocktail Peanuts (grab now)

• Nature’s Garden Roasted Hazelnuts (grab now)

• PLANTERS Whole Cashews with Sea Salt (grab now)

• Blue Diamond Almonds Whole Natural (grab now)

10) Pack Lunch

If you can pack your lunch, then this will make healthy food choices readily available to you. Since you can control your portion size, you may find that you do not end up supersizing your meals, which can work in your favor. If you hate the idea of having a cold lunch, then you can easily take a hot lunch out with you if you have a microwave at work. If you want to have hot meals, then this easy potato soup recipe is not to be missed. It's full of healthy carbs and super tasty, so you can get the nutrients you need to stay alert during the day.

Affordable on-the-go food storage containers:

• 20oz Vacuum Insulated Soup Container (grab now)

• Microwaveable 2-Compartment Meal-Prep Containers (grab now)

• 3-Tier Stackable Insulated Bento/Food Container (grab now)

• Leakproof Japanese Bento Box 3-In-1 Compartment (grab now)

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Takeaway: Living smarter and choosing healthy food choices makes a positive impact on your health.

Everyone needs protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and foods with other nutrients, too. A balanced diet, including fresh fruits and vegetables, will satisfy your body's health needs. Eating a variety of different foods and staying active is the best way to live healthier in 2023. Are you already practicing some of these healthy habits? Let us know in the comments!

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