3 Easy Ways to Improve Your Diet with Minimal Effort
Nearly 75% of all Americans are overweight, with an astonishing 30% being obese! [1]
It is clear that the obesity pandemic is real and it has very serious consequences for all Americans:
- Increased chance for early death
- More likely to have a chronic disease: diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and heart diseases
- Self-esteem issues
- Higher chance of depression
- Lower energy levels
Furthermore, nobody likes carrying extra pounds. It makes you look worse, everyday tasks like walking become a chore, and you generally feel sluggish.
However, it’s not only that we eat too much, but we don’t eat well. Even though we are fatter, we lack more nutrients than before!
For instance, most Americans are deficient in vitamin D, omega-3, and vitamin K to mention a few. [2,3]
Therefore, it’s clear that improving your diet is of utmost importance to improve your physical and mental health.
1. Eat Better with Meal Replacements
The first step to improving your diet is to change what you eat.
If you are used to a donut and coffee for breakfast, or a Starbucks muffin with a latte, it’s time to change this.
Without realizing it, you are eating a lot of calories, but not a lot of nutrients. A regular donut and black coffee with orange juice equate to:
- 378kcal
- 59g of carbs and 37g of sugar!
- 14g of fat, mostly saturated fats
- 4g of protein
- Barely any vitamins and minerals
Even if you opt for healthier breakfast options (muesli, cereals, oatmeal…) you will be missing a lot of key nutrients like zinc, omega-3, vitamin A, protein…
So what’s the solution?
Well, the best meal replacement shakes are able to provide you with all the nutrients your body needs in less than 400kcals.
With a simple shake you can get 30% of your DV for vitamins and minerals, 30g of protein, almost no sugar, 7g of fiber, and plenty of omega-3.
2. Get More Nutrients in Your Body
As mentioned above, one of the main issues with the American diet is that we eat too many calories and not enough nutrients.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2022-2025) [4], for instance, recommend eating 5 pieces of fruit or vegetables daily. However, we all know that this is extremely hard to fulfill for most people, in part because it’s quite expensive.
So what if I told you there is an easy way to get your greens?
It’s not magic or wizardry. In fact, the best green powders have been designed specifically with that in mind: to boost your greens intake, and therefore the nutrient and phytonutrient intake.
Popular brands like AG-1 or SuperTonik come with blends of over 70 superfoods like spinach, broccoli, spirulina, kale, berries, cauliflower, etc. These fruits and plants are rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.
All in one easy drink!
3. Stop Drinking Sodas, Start Drinking Water
This will be perhaps the least popular trick of them all, as it’s not as easy as the two I mentioned above.
However, this is a trick that will not only improve your health but will also save you money!
Many of you will be aware that sugary sodas can cause obesity, cardiovascular disease, and issues with your tooth, among other things. They are filled with sugar that provides you with calories but does not fill you up.
Oh, but what about zero-calorie sodas, then?
Even though in theory they are the perfect solution (no sugar, no calories), they are packed with artificial sweeteners.
Despite the fact that artificial sweeteners have been deemed safe for consumption by the FDA, recent evidence suggests that they can interact with bacteria in your gut (microbiome). These interactions are mostly negative, and can cause:
- Intestinal flow issues
- Changes in your microbiome lead to an increase in weight
- Worse mood
Therefore, even if there is a lot to discover in this area yet, slowing down how much soda you drink and changing it with water (or green tea, fermented tea like Kombucha, black coffee) can make a big difference.
References
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