Posts Tagged “eating habits”
When it comes to creating better eating habits, often the most challenging part is putting the actions needed to improve into practice. Mindful eating provides specific tactics that can easily be applied to help improve overall health and wellness. Mindful Eating may sound like just another dietary trend but in reality, it is a concept designed to help people make conscious decisions around how and when they are fueling their body.
PLANTS FIRST
Because of how important fruits and vegetables are as a source of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, they should always be a priority to include in your daily meals and snacks. Many people are aware of this already, but it’s always great to be more intentional about putting plants first. When considering meals, not only should at least one portion of veggies be included, but that should be what you eat first on your plate. The consistency of vegetables and fruits allow for a quicker digestive process than meats and starches. Your digestive system will thank you if you start with the food that breaks down the fastest.
You will further benefit by making sure that the plant portion of your meal is a hefty size. By filling up your plate with what’s best for your body, you’ll eat less of what is not as healthy. Practicing this tip will help you feel lighter on your feet and more energized afterwards. In short, make your plant portions are the hero of your meals. Pure Flavor® offers flavourful, fresh, and nutrient-packed greenhouse grown produce so having the veggies you need will never be a problem, no matter the season. If you’re looking for some ideas of veggie heavy meals, try out Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, Mediterranean Poutine and Winter Kale Chicken Salad. They are full of flavor and sure to please everyone around the table.
EAT FREQUENTLY
Traditionally, people have been taught to make sure to eat three square meals a day in order to fuel their bodies properly. Eating three times a day is okay but eating smaller meals 5-6 times a day is even better! This tip may come across counter-productive for healthy habits, because how could eating more food be better for your health, but it makes perfect sense.
Rather than three primary meals per day, decrease the portions of your traditional meals and add in small, healthy snacks between those meals. Doing this will keep your digestive system active all day long. Being active on the outside is not the only way to burn calories. Your body burns calories from the inside as well. So, the more your digestive system works, the more calories you burn, even during the times you’re being still. With all the calories you’ll be burning, your metabolism will also get a boost. Pure Flavor® proudly offers a full line of healthy and convenient snacking vegetables. With a selection of Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Peppers, there is something for everyone’s taste and packed for easy, on-the-go access.
TAKE YOUR TIME
Life is busy and sometimes meals are squeezed in between errands and activities. The tip of taking your time to eat will require you to be a bit more intentional, as many of us eat too fast. But you will find that taking your time to eat will benefit you in many ways.
The primary benefit is to your health. If you are eating a meal in five minutes or less, it is likely difficult to gauge if your food portion is what your body needs. It is easy to over-eat when eating fast. Eating slower allows you listen to your belly when it tells you it’s full. Eating slower is also good for your digestive system. The food you’ve eaten will travel through your system much smoother when it’s not passing through in a huge clump. Another added tactic to help you slowdown is to ensure you’re chewing your food well.
Taking advantage of these tips to slow down also have secondary benefits that naturally occur as a result. Think about it, if you are eating slower, won’t you be able to enjoy your food more? And if you are taking your time, you’ve created an opportunity to strengthen relationships with those you might be eating with. The pros outweigh the cons by far.
DRINK MORE WATER
Considering the human body is mostly made up of water, it should be clear that water consumption needs to be maintained for our bodies to function as intended. Most people will drink a few glasses of water in the day, but most people walking around are likely a bit dehydrated. The average person should consume a minimum of 2L of water every day to be properly hydrated.
Often, hunger is misinterpreted for thirst causing people to eat more when really, they’re just thirsty. If you’re starting to feel hunger coming on, try to drink a glass of water first before defaulting to eating. You might find a glass of water will satisfy you and keep you from consuming food your body didn’t need. Aside from preventing over-eating, you’ll also gain more energy, boost your metabolism, improve quality of sleep, and increase clarity of mind by staying properly hydrated.
Other than drinking water, there are foods we eat that can also contribute toward hydrating the body. Cucumbers are a great example as they consist of upwards of 95% water! Working cucumbers into your daily diet will boost hydration, along with providing many other nutrients your body needs. Make sure to check out some delicious cucumber meal recipes like Garlic Cucumber Salad, Salmon Sushi Bowl and Cucumber Pico Tostadas for your next meals.
ACCOUNTABILITY
When trying to live in a way that is mindful of our health, it is usually easier to maintain accountability with a friend or partner. Having someone to hold you accountable will help you think twice before making food choices, rather than be impulsive or fall into old habits. Plus, as with most things in life, it’s usually more enjoyable when you don’t have to go it alone. Being able to share recipes, progress reports, and future health goals with someone can help keep us on track.
It is also motivating to have someone to celebrate both small and large victories with. A sense of accomplishment can be a strong motivating factor to continue with healthy choices, and it only grows stronger with every achievement and benchmark reached.
It is important to stay mindful of how you are fuelling your body on a daily basis. By practicing these, and another Mindful Eating techniques, you may find yourself not only more aware of what you are eating and drinking, but also see how much better certain foods make you feel. By choosing always in season, greenhouse grown vegetables as part of your meal planning it is the first step in making lasting, healthy habit. Thank you Pure Flavor®
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention affirms that children who eat healthy foods at school learn better lifelong eating habits and are more prepared to learn. Since most children spend close to six hours a day and consume as much as half of their daily calories at school, parents want to make sure they’re packing the right stuff to keep them in optimal learning mode.
A healthy lunch + healthy snacks = healthy learning. So whether the little one is heading off to school for the first time or one is going off to college, they will need a nutritious lunch, as well as some healthy snacks to fuel their day and stimulate neural activity.
Start with a nutritious lunch. Crispy Fruit Freeze-dried snacks are the perfect complement to any healthy lunch. Parents who will be packing their kids’ lunches should check out the sixth annual Power Your Lunchbox campaign from Produce for Kids. This campaign has been growing exponentially since its inception with more parents making the promise to pack a healthier lunch for their kids
“We are proud to be one of the founding sponsors of this wonderful campaign that promotes packing healthier school lunches, which aligns perfectly with our mission of using food as a force for good,” said Angela Liu, Crispy Green founder and chief executive officer.
Packing along real fruit that snacks like a chip to school or any other extra-curricular activity will make it easy for the kids to stay away from other, less healthy snacks.
by Staff Reporter, University of Montreal
Canadian men’s eating habits are associated with the availability of healthy food sources in their residential neighborhood but women’s are not, according to researchers at the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHUM hospital.
“We found that, for men only, intake of fruit and vegetables was positively associated with the proportion of healthy food outlets around home,” explained Christelle M. Clary of the university’s department of social and preventative medicine, who led the study. Why men Canadian men’s eating habits are associated with the availability of healthy food sources in their residential neighborhood but women’s are not, according to researchers at the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHUM hospital.
“We found that, for men only, intake of fruit and vegetables was positively associated with the proportion of healthy food outlets around home,” explained Christelle M. Clary of the university’s department of social and preventative medicine, who led the study. Why men and not women? “This may be because women, who are in general more nutritionally knowledgeable, may engage in different food shopping strategies than men, and rely on other aspects of the food environment than the proportion of food stores locally available,” suggested Professor Yan Kestens, who directed the study.
The study was based on data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), and looked at the eating habits of 49,403 Canadians living in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa (including Gatineau, Quebec). The food outlets of each city were mapped using a database containing information on the type and location of all food businesses. For the purpose of this study, supermarkets, grocery stores, fruit and vegetable stores and natural food stores were considered as potential sources of “healthy foods” (especially fruits and vegetables), while convenience stores and fast-food restaurants were considered less healthy food sources.