There are more than 33,000 McDonalds scattered throughout 119 countries worldwide and new McDonalds restaurants open every day. More and more people are eating unhealthy fast-food and other junk foods on a regular basis, which is why obesity rates have skyrocketed in the last decade or more, and the strong demand for cheap fast-food worldwide is just the tip of the iceberg.
People lead less active lives nowadays, spending hours sitting at desks and relaxing in the evening on the couch, watching television. Children spend more time in front of screens now than they do outdoors playing and exercising. So what can you do to improve your diet and lose weight?
Firstly, make the switch to wholegrain bread, rice and pasta. Wholegrain foods are much better for you than foods made of refined grains. When grains are refined, both the germ and the bran are removed, leaving the endosperm. The germ and the bran are rich sources of many important nutrients whereas the endosperm is not and merely provides energy.
Drinking Enough Water
Drink more water. Most people don’t drink enough fluids and thirst can sometimes be mistaken for hunger, causing people to eat more when really all their body is craving is a nice cold glass of water. You should drink water with every meal as it aids digestion and before, during and after intense workouts in order to replace water lost when exercising.
If you don’t like the taste of your tap water, you could install a water softener to make it more palatable. Often hard water has an unpleasant taste that puts people off drinking it. Most people find soft water to be much nicer.
Fruit and Veg
Incorporate more fruit and veg into your diet. The recommended daily amount is five servings, but don’t stop there! If you’re not getting enough in your diet, try chopping banana into your porridge or adding a handful of berries to your cereal. A fruit salad is simple to make and is a delicious and healthy dessert option. Peckish? Why not snack on a carrot?
Shake It Up!
You should eat as varied a diet as possible. Avoid making the same dishes over and over again. Shake things up. Buy vegetables you’d never normally buy and see what you can make with them. Take the cookbooks down off the shelf and find some interesting new recipes to try. A varied diet ensures that you’re getting all the nutrients you need and nothing’s getting left out. Plus, it makes for more interesting mealtimes – variety is the spice of life after all!
You don’t have to sacrifice flavour in order to eat a more healthy diet – quite the contrary! Why not try a healthy butternut squash, green bean and pineapple Thai curry in a coconut sauce? Sounds delicious, doesn’t it? These things aren’t hard to make and there are some great recipe databases on the internet to help you out, so there’s no excuse for unhealthy eating.