FitnessIsKarma Staff Difference between healthy and unhealthy food: Consuming food is on of the most critical part of our daily lives. Eating food not just satisfies our hunger, it decides and dictates multiple factors in our life and lifestyle. Things like how is your mood going to be, how are you going to feel after your meal, will you be craving for something more sooner than later or will you be full until your next usual meal later in the day, or even how will you sleep and many more.
But sadly in this fast paced world, that we now call as VUCA ( Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous ). We don’t have time to stop and reflect what, when and how we have been eating. And this is why its really important you realize and reflect on it while you are eating or at least deciding to eat. With technological advancements the availability of food is no more a scares thing, specially in the urban places where most of the cooperate crowd thrive and hustle.
5 simple ways to find the difference between healthy and unhealthy food.
Definition of Healthy and Unhealthy food :
We all are aware of high level understanding of what is healthy or unhealthy, that is junk food or not. But still that doesn’t seem to have stopped us from eating more of Junk food, has it ? And there are multiple reasons to it that we have already know like lack of time etc., so let us not be harsh on our selves and understand how we can take a more informed choice with the time and options available and also do it in a way that is sustainable, so that you don’t snap out of it as soon as you get some cravings. So lets simply the definitions in a way that we can relate easily and keep it on top of our heads for it to be handy when needed.
Healthy Food is nothing but which has most nutritional value with the options available. And unhealthy is obviously the opposite side of this spectrum. But the million dollar question is, how will differentiate or know which is which.
So lets break it down and understand 7 simple ways to find the difference between healthy and unhealthy food.
1. Macro proportions
Don’t be overwhelmed by the work Macros, you just need to see how close is your meal to the ideal spilt of Protein, Fat and Carbohydrates. Again you don’t need to worry and remember the exact proportion and weigh your food against it, just keep your fats to minimum and balance your protein and carbs with reasonable proportions, you can keep them equal if your target is weight gain or have lesser crab portion if your goal is weight loss. Nothing fancy 🙂
2. Fiber is a must
Always make sure you are having some form of fiber in your meal, green levees and vegetables are more preferred form as they provide additional micro nutrients which again is a plus, but if not available, make sure you choose options like brown rice, whole grain breads or even multi grain is better then the usual ones. 20+ grams is what you have to target, if you fell short any day, that obviously means your where on slightly unhealthier side of the spectrum that day. Then psyllium husk is a great way to balance it at the end of the day, just have it with water.
3. How cooked is your food
Now this might sound silly as uncooked food is not what we imagine before we eat. But by how cooked I mean, the proportions again. See if you can add the raw stuff like salads, or boiled or steamed or baked forms of food rather then fried once. Example – boiled rice instead of fried rice, or mashed potatoes instead of French fries etc. So by how cooked you can just imagine higher the temperature they are cooked, lowered their nutritional value as with high temperatures the nutrition just burns away as well.
4. Avoid cold beverages during and right after your meals
Now cold beverages can be lovely along with a good meal, specially the carbonated soft drinks with loads of sugar in it. Just do your best to avoid it, as it not only loads up unintentional additional calories to your meal but also slows down you digestions process, which might make your slow and drowsy in the middle of the day.
5. Are you loving your food a little too much ?
Yes, this is an amazing and effective indicator to realize that, what you are eating is healthy or unhealthy. Because, always the most unhealthy thing will be so tasty and lovely that it almost feels illegal eating it so you would really really love your meal but you will regret big time later. And on the other hand while eating the most healthies meal you might not feel very great, or in fact you might even hate it, but you would feel lovely, lite and astonishingly active after your mean. Don’t trust me ? Then try it :). That is why just remind yourself of asking this question every time you eat, are you loving your food a little too much ? if your answer is strongly agree then you are eating unhealthy. So plan your meals in such a way that you don’t hate them completely by balancing between few things you like and few things you might not be very fond off. Trust me that is a good mix to stay away from feeling guilty or even mundaneness.
Also Read: 5 ways desk jobs are impacting your health
Conclusion:
Understanding the nuances between healthy and unhealthy foods equips you to make informed dietary choices, fostering optimal health and vitality. By prioritizing nutrient-rich options and minimizing empty-calorie indulgences, we can embark on a journey towards holistic well-being. I am sure these tips would help you big time as they have helped me and many others.
I hope you are now equipped and ready to optimize your nutrition and embrace a healthier lifestyle. Please share your favorite tips for selecting nutritious foods in the comments below and join the dialogue on nourishing our bodies for sustained vitality and wellness. Let us embark in this journey of sustainable food habits together for a fitter tomorrow. Cheers 🙂
