Wait a minute! Why should you be concerned about health eating? Perhaps you want to lose weight? Or even you have been feeling tired and heavy of late and you are relating this to your diet. It could be that you will like to set a better example to your children. Whatever the reason, eating healthily will not only help you maintain a healthy weight, it will help prevent diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure etc. that are caused by our diets.

Healthy eating isn’t always easy you know, especially in this part of the world where our foods are cooked with a good amount of vegetable oil and palm oil. To help you accomplish your aim of eating healthily we at Mamalette.com have put together 8 tips that should prove useful if you are interested in improving your diet;

Tip 1: Always have healthy food around you

The number one rule is to always have healthy food available. You will be less likely to eat processed foods if there is none available. You will avoid eating plantain chips, chin-chin or biscuits which are high in fat if you don’t have any at home or around you. Clear your cupboards and your home of all junk foods and then start planning healthy meals and shopping for healthier food like fruit, nuts, popcorn etc.

Tip 2: Cut Down On Alcohol

While some research may have shown that moderate amounts of alcohol (1 drink per day for women, 2 for men) can have some health benefits it is also important to ensure that your alcohol consumption stays moderate. This is because, alcohol takes a toll on your liver, the major organ of your body devoted to “detoxing” your system.  While drinking one glass or two of red wine at an ‘Owambe’ is fine, drinking the whole bottle or 3 bottles may be detrimental to your health.

Tip 3: Cut Down On Sugar

A lot of us eat too much sugar. Some of us even use sugar to cook yam, beans etc. While sugar does indeed taste good, putting too much sugar in cooked foods and uncooked foods like ‘garri’ may be detrimental to your health.

High intake of added sugar is linked with risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure. Use the principle of more is less, do you really need to add 6 cubes of sugar in cup of tea? If you have a sweet tooth and you want a sweet treat, reach for fruits such as oranges, apples or bananas.

Tip 4: Cut Down On Salt

The recommended amount of salt an adult should consume a day is 6 grams. Too much salt can raise your blood pressure, which puts you at increased risk of health problems such as heart disease and stroke.

You really don’t have to add salt to food to be eating too much – 75% of the salt we eat is already in everyday foods such as bread, breakfast cereal, food seasonings like maggi, knorr etc.

And for those who eat out regularly, foods from most eateries tend to be high in sodium. Rather than eat out cook at home instead using fresh ingredients and adding less salt and take this food to work.  Taking food to work will also save you money if you frequently buy food at work.

I know people that add salt to food even before they taste it. You really don’t need a lot of salt to enjoy the real flavours of foods. You can enhance the flavor of your food with spices and chilli pepper rather than salt.

Tip 5: Cut Down On Saturated Fat

Saturated fat is what you find in beef, chicken skin, ‘Tozo’, palm oil etc. Most of us eat too much saturated fat – more than the recommended maximum amount. The average man should eat no more than 30g of saturated fat a day and the average woman should eat no more than 20g of saturated fat a day.

Saturated fat raises your “bad” LDL cholesterol and can damage your arteries. It has also been associated with increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and even cancer.

Use less oil when you have to cook with palm oil, also use the principle of less is more when deciding to add fat to your food. Cook with a healthier oil like olive oil. While chicken skin and fatty meat may be very tasty leaving it off your plate can help reduce the size of your waist line

Tip 6: Cut Down On Processed Foods

Processed food products contain loads of ingredients e.g. added sugars, salt and trans and saturated fat. These ingredients are often added to processed foods for taste. Many processed foods are also produced through procedures involving overcooking under high heat, undermining their nutritional value in the process.

Eliminate processed foods from your shopping list e.g. white flour, white sugar, candy, soft drinks, and pastries. Go instead for foods with whole grain or whole wheat such as whole wheat bread

Tip 7: Drink More Green Tea

Some of you already know that green tea has a number of health benefits e.g. helps with weight loss and there are antioxidants in green tea that may help protect against some cancers, including breast,  stomach, ovarian, prostate and oral cancers.

So making a cup of green tea rather than a hot chocolate drink will be beneficial to your health.

Tip 8: Drink More Water

Water keeps every part of your body working properly. It helps your body flush wastes and can help prevent kidney stones and constipation. The common recommendation is to drink six or eight 8-ounce glasses of water or other fluid every day.

Nigeria has a hot, humid climate so you actually may need to drink more water than is recommended. You may also need more water if you perform intense exercise, are pregnant or breast-feeding, are sick e.g. with a cold, or have a health problem like a urinary tract infection.

If you are struggling to drink plain water, squeeze a lemon/lime in it or add a slice of cucumber to add a little flavor to your water.

While these tips may not be all you need to eat healthy, using a few of them can help you accomplish your larger goals weightloss, maintaining a healthy weight or just having a good diet.

Are there any other healthy eating tips that you know? Add them in the comment section below for the benefit of our readers.