Apart from sticking to a planned diet, there are certain healthy habits you need to adopt to ensure a successful diet plan.
You should already have a written menu.
Start counting your calories as soon as you pick up food to eat. This will discourage you from eating high calorie foods.
Eat about five moderate but balanced meals spread out through the day in order to keep your metabolism stable.
Eat more sea foods and vegetables than any other high calorie proteins. Do not eat the skin of animals as they contain a lot of unwanted fats.
If you need to snack, snack generally on fresh fruits, vegetables, low fat yoghurt or cereals.
Generally increase your water, fruit and vegetable intake and engage in one form of moderate exercise or the other.
Choose the healthier carbohydrates like potatoes, unripe plantain and unprocessed wheat. Eat light meals, especially at night, if you don’t exercise enough to burn off the excess food.
Your meals should be in this proportion; Carbohydrates , proteins , fats , vitamins and minerals .
Limit intake of salt and saturated oils like palm oil and increase intake of healthy oils like olive oil and oil from fish. Saturated fat is bad for the heart.
Avoid soft drinks, alcohol and junk food. Eat egg white instead of yolk.
Eat more brown foods like beans, wheat and potatoes. They help control cancer.
Carry your snack of fruits and vegetables with you wherever you go, to avoid the temptation of eating wrong.
Avoid fried foods. Boil, steam, grill or roast your foods. Use French dressing instead of mayonnaise in your salads.
When you boil your beef, chicken etc, allow the stork to cool, so you can separate unwanted fat from the liquid.
Use margarine spread instead of butter. Plant fat is healthier and is easily digested.
Cook white sauces instead of our oily African stews.
Eggs and vegetables should boil for only seven minutes or you destroy the natural nutrients in them.
Drink yoghurt or low fat milk instead of full cream milk.
Use honey instead of refined sugar. Cut down on your coffee intake. Do not drink coffee on an empty stomach as this can lead to certain unwanted ailments.
