1. Hands off refined food
Refined sugar, refined fructose, refined butter, refined flour, refined table salt – if you exclude all foods with these ingredients, your diet will quickly become healthy. ⠀
2. Eat lots of vegetables and greens
Fresh and cooked. Every day and with every meal. Vegetables are a crucial ingredient of any healthy diet. You can even try growing your own microgreens at home that are filled with essential nutrients.
3. Look for variety
Diversity of the diet – the ability to get all the necessary nutrients from food, and not from dietary supplements. ⠀
4. Keep your portion size in check
You may overeat salads at the New Year’s table, that’s once a year. But frequent overeating is definitely going to add mass, irrespective of what healthy foods you choose. ⠀
5. Early breakfast and dinner
Make sure you are done with your dinner by 19:00. And a 12 hour required gap between your breakfast and dinner puts the breakfast at 7:00.
6. Introduce changes gradually
Be honest with yourself, consider your current lifestyle and your capabilities. Keep in mind that changes that are gradual stick around longer.
7. Stay Hydrated
So how much water should you drink a day? The answer is pretty straightforward, drink when you are thirsty. During working out and sweating, drink a sufficient amount to compensate for the lost fluid.
8. Do not eat in front of the screen
Never eat while you sit on your computer, In front of the TV, or with the phone in hand. When you are eating, eat slowing and just focus on your food. Consider meal times as sacred.
9. Allow yourself to eat everything
Eat everything but do not overeat. When we say everything, it of course doesn’t mean literally everything. Be conscious about food quality.
10. Don’t think too much about food
Don’t consider your diet the only objective in your life. One has a lot of other things going in their life that need attention. Be relaxed, avoid obsession, and enjoy whatever you eat.
These principles work regardless of the system chosen – vegetarian, paleo, or keto. And I often think that any nutrition system (even the strangest one) can give good results if you follow these ten principles.