Diet is one of the easiest ways to lose weight and to keep it off. Not only is a proper diet a good way to lose weight but also it is a great way to get healthier. Most people make one of four problems in their diet. In my view the four most important things in your diet are:
The correct mix of carbohydrates, protein and fat is, I believe 60% 20% 20% in calories. When compared to the regular north American diet you will find that this is a little higher in protein and a little lower in fat. Protein is an essential nutrient for the building of muscle and that is the reason that I raise this number a little. The greatest problem I believe in diets in north America is the high amount of fat that people take in. The best way to reduce fat is to stay away from any fried food including fries, fired chicken and bacon.
The next major way to improve your diet is to take in more water. Most of us never want to drink just a plain glass of water but if you look at the benefits you will probably get over the boring taste of water. Water is essential to your diet with almost 90% of your body made up of water. Also you will find that drinking at least eight glasses of water a day will make you have a lot more energy, better concentration and will also help you digest your food better.
The number of meals that you eat a day is very important if you want to lose weight. I know many people that eat six meals a day. Of course six meals a day should not be big meals but instead smaller meals that will sustain you and keep your energy up. Nearly always we eat three big meals many hours apart and these meals end up leaving us lethargic and sluggish. Do the math, if you are eating 2000 calories a day then the best meals will be about 350 calories. Buy a calorie counter book and you will find that this is actually quite a bit of food but not like a big meal that you are used to, you may need to adjust to that a bit but in the end it is a great way to eat I myself love it.
Vitamins are the last part of this plan and one that is quite controversial as you know. In my eyes I must take vitamins everyday. I personally take a multivitamin, a calcium pill and an Omega 3-6-9 pill every day. Do I need to take these multi-vitamins? I believe so but that is because I do not trust that I am getting all of the nutrients that I need from the food that I eat. Do you think that the bread made with refined flower, fruit picked a couple weeks ago in South America, or hormone stuffed steak are really full of the stuff that you really need.
You may have heard these clues to a healthy diet many times over the years but take them to heart. This could be a great way for you to become healthier just be rejigging your diet and drinking a little more water. Try this starting today and just for the next week and then come back here, see how you did and how much better you feel.
Now that these ideas are top of mind again try to pick one that you will incorporate into you like this week and make it a part of your regular schedule and then next week you can do the same with another and another until in a months time you have made four changes and feel better than you have in a long long time.
Bill Nadraszky is a Fitness Junkie and runs several websites. For more Diet information you can visit fitness articles. To find tips on health as well as fitness visit fitness tips