Healthy Lifestyle Basics

With different fad diets popping up every few months promising fast health results, it can be difficult to decipher what your diet should actually look like in order to meet your nutrition goals. Following a healthy lifestyle does not need to be complicated or restrictive to achieve results.

Here are the different factors that can contribute to overall health and what to aim for with each factor:

Diet

Include all macronutrients and color into each meal- Instead of thinking about all of the things you may need to take out of your diet to be healthy, try focusing on what you need to add. Each meal should include a source of complex carbs (beans, legumes, whole grains, quinoa, sweet potatoes, etc.), lean protein (lean poultry, fish, or plant-based options), heart healthy fats (nuts, seeds, olive oil), and color (fruit or vegetables). If most of your meals include this balance then your body will get the nutrients it needs to not only feel good, but also optimize physiological health.

Portion sizes

Finding a “sweet spot” for portion sizes can be difficult to make sure you are getting enough nutrients for your body without feeling overly full. Try to check in with your body’s hunger cues throughout each meal and end the meal when you are feeling comfortably full. Avoid ignoring hunger signals as this may cause you to end up eating more later on.

Exercise

It is important to find a style of movement that you enjoy so you are more likely to stick with it- this can look like going to the gym, taking a new workout class, or participating in sports. The CDC recommends aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity each week with 2 strength workouts added in.

Lifestyle 

Sleep, getting an inadequate amount of sleep each night can negatively impact hormonal regulation and metabolic function. Hormones play a role in mood, energy levels, hunger/fullness cues, etc. Aim to get 7-9 hours a night of restful sleep to optimize hormonal regulation and metabolic function.

Stress, both physical and mental needs can impact overall health so it is important  to take care of yourself both physically and mentally. Physical stress can occur when someone is not meeting their nutrient and energy needs for the level of physical activity they are doing. In order to avoid this, ensure that you are taking rest days as needed and fueling adequately for your preferred workout.

Mental stress can come from life stressors at work, home, etc. Life stressors seem to be inevitable so it is important to have tools in place to minimize stress responses in these situations. Mental stress may cause people to eat more, less, or different types of food (often simple carbs of candy, cookies, and snack foods). In order to prevent this response, ensure you are eating frequent and balanced meals and snacks. This way your body will have the fuel it needs to navigate this stress response.

Bottom line is, if a diet is promoting restriction of specific foods or a supplement is promising quick results it is likely too good to be true. I encourage you to focus on improving the overall quality of these lifestyle factors than following a “quick fix” method.

The Author