8 best tips for a healthier diet

Four white square large bowls, four white small square bowls, and four black round plates, in which various chopped vegetables are arranged: tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, spinach, also beans, chickpeas, corn, peas, etc.

From nutrition guru Tom Spector

We take a lot of advice when we talk about proper nutrition, but the truth is simple: there is no one diet that works perfectly for everyone, because everyone has a unique biology and reacts differently to products. Food guru Tom Spector, author of The Diet Myth, lists a few simple things to choose from and promises to make the best of it.

1. Back in the kitchen

One of the reasons why the number of obese people has skyrocketed is that we have replaced home-made food with semi-finished and bought dishes. The best way to get good food is to prepare it yourself. “Even if you’re a novice cook like me, buy some fresh ingredients and start experimenting,” Spector advises.

A young man with a dark beard and hair and a white T-shirt and a young woman with long dark hair in a black blouse are standing behind the kitchen island smiling. He stirs something in a white bowl, she sprinkles salt on a green salad in a bowl. In the foreground is a bowl of lemons, condiments, a cup with two knives, a pan and a pan lid. Behind the people is a large silver fridge, light kitchen counters and cupboards with two orange pots on top of each other, a sink and an oven.
Photo: Unsplash

2. Fermented foods

Yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha (a tea mushroom that undergoes fermentation converts sugars into organic acids and is used as a beverage), kefir and other enzyme products contain live bacteria that are beneficial. You can come up with a lot of recipes for smoothies with kefir, fruits and green leafy vegetables.

A transparent bowl of yogurt on a gray surface with a white lace cover and sprigs of greenery on the side, above the bowl - a spoon with milk.
Photo: Unsplash

3. Lots of fiber

The fiber in food improves the work of the stomach and gives a feeling of satiety, so you will feel less hungry with them. Foods rich in fiber include beans, lentils, peas, spinach, artichokes, leeks, apples and other fruits, nuts and other unrefined whole grains. Insoluble fiber, which is part of food, cannot be absorbed by the digestive system, so the body will absorb fewer calories.

Oatmeal in the morning for breakfast, a handful of raw cashews or walnuts in the afternoon, almonds, Brazil nuts filled with selenium or pecans (a type of American walnut rich in omega-6 fatty acids) are ideal choices for healthy eating.

Broccoli, cauliflower, courgettes, cucumbers, green beans, carrots, tomatoes, onions in wicker baskets on a market stall, a weighing scale is also seen.
Photo: Unsplash

4. In the name of quality olive oil

When cooking, use high quality extra virgin olive oil because it is loaded with polyphenols. These are natural chemicals with antioxidant powers that have a beneficial effect on intestinal microbes. Quality olive oil is the basis of one of the healthiest diets – the Mediterranean.

Baked slice with cheese and fresh slices of tomato on top, on the left a sprig of basil, on the side a slice of lemon, on the right a spoon and a glass bottle of olive oil.
Photo: Unsplash

5. Combo effect

You can improve the effect of food by learning to combine useful ingredients, such as beans with rice is a more useful dish than if you eat them separately, because the fiber in beans counteracts the starch in beans. “Popeye the sailor can get energy by eating only spinach, but we need a varied menu, so I advise you to add new foods to familiar dishes to fully enjoy each bite.”

6. In the dark

70% cocoa in chocolate may seem quite bitter to people who like to eat chocolate regularly, but if you get used to eating 1-2 bars of it, you will do well by getting used to less sugar, he said. Tom Spector.

Dark chocolate broken into irregularly shaped pieces.

7. Take it slow, take it slow!

We all do it: we eat on the go, even while walking down the street, while doing something else we swallow big bites and don’t even feel what we are eating. We do it in the car, on the desk, because we are still busy, but proper nutrition requires attention and attitude. Sit quietly at the table, pour a medium portion, chew slowly and you will have better control over appetite and weight.

8. The spices of life

Some spices not only give flavor to dishes, but have a very beneficial effect on the body: rosemary, basil, parsley, curry. “Turmeric, saffron and garlic are my favorites, and hot peppers are a powerful antioxidant,” the nutrition expert told cbc.ca.

Sprigs of rosemary

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