If your aim is to be fit and healthy, then exercising alone is not enough. While exercises and workouts can make your body fit, they don’t really do much for your health. In order to be fit and healthy, you need a good exercise routine plus eat right. But what kind of foods should you look out for? Here are 10 you can try.
Before we go into the list of foods to take, it is important to note that you cannot simply take one type of food and focus on it alone. While the ability to focus is usually an asset in goals attainment, when it comes to good health, the truth is you need to consume a variety of food types daily. Plus you should never overeat, even if it is overeating good food!
So here goes – the top 10 foods you must have in your diet, not by order of merit…
1. Whole Grains
Whole grains like brown rice and wheat kernels are very healthy foods. They are not only nutritious, they are also quite testy once you get used to them. But as mentioned above, you must mixed different types of grains in your diet for best results. There is no point for you to eat just one type and ignore the others.
2.Lean proteins
Lean and mean? No, just lean. People in the US eat far too much protein compared to the rest of the world. But you don’t really need to eat so much because 3 ounces will provide all protein you need for your day. Remember to get rid of all visible fat from your protein source too. If not, use a non-meat alternative as your protein source.
3.Berries
Berries are the superfood of the century. Instead of snacking on sweet, calorie laden desserts, you will do well with a few fresh berries or even frozen berries – use your imagination. These foods are high in vitamin C and some types of berries are also high in other nutrients as well. Mix and match different types for variety in taste as well as for better health.
4.Salmon
Salmon is very rich in Omega-3 oils which is excellent for improving your brain power. This lean fish is both tasty and nutritionally one of the best fish choices you can make. Baked Salmon tastes great also you may also want to try the raw style that the Japanese prefer. In any case, eat lots of Salmon for its powerful antioxidant properties.
5. Vegetables
Needless to say but I have to say it anyway – consuming a variety of vegetables is crucial to your good health. Vegetables provide many of the essential minerals and vitamins required in a good diet. For example, you need potassium for healthy nutrition and you can get adequate supply for your diet in a stalk of broccoli.
6. Citrus
Vitamin C is a very important you cannot afford not to have in your diet. Where do you get your Vitamin C from? Citrus fruits are one group of foods that can give you ample supply of Vitamin C. There are many creative ways for you to eat this wonderful stuff. You may to try grapefruit for break-fast, or you can add fresh squeezed lime to your salad dressing. Or you may want to savor slices of orange with coconut and honey for dessert.
7. Nuts and seeds
You’ve got to be nuts to ignore nuts! You must have heard of walnuts and pecans. These nuts contains very good nutritional value for you. But you may not know that you can also boost your brain power with flax seeds because this seed contains sources of the Omega-3 oil.
8. Legumes
What is a legume? This is actually a group of fruits that are characterized by a single dry seed. Also know as pods, legumes like soybeans, peas, dried beans, peanuts, etc, are rich in iron and high in fiber. This make legumes an excellent choice for nutrition.
9.Olive oil
You have heard of bad fat but have you heard of a good fat? Well, Olive oil is probably the healthiest fat substance for your diet. You can use Olive oil on your salad or fry other foods in the hot oil for a scrumptious meal. Be careful not to set the fire too hot it breaks the oil down.
10. Tea
Last and definitely not the least, you should add tea to your diet. Be it green tea, mint tea or chamomile tea, you can get lots of goodness from tea.