Photo: Unsplash/ Biegun Wschodni.
Spring is finally gracing us with its presence this weekend. You’ve got a celebratory boozy brunch followed by a mimosa-fueled closet-cleanout scheduled.
Many of us use the change of season as a metaphorical fresh start. Whether that means revamping your gym routine, setting a new round of professional goals for yourself or finally cleaning out the massive pile of God-knows-what in the back of your closet.
Deserving of a spot on the list of areas that could use a good clean out is your diet.
But instead of taking the traditional route and completely overhauling your diet (which will undoubtedly have you caving and calling your local Domino’s in a panic), start small. Here are concrete, actionable changes you can make to your diet, scientifically proven to have a positive effect on your mental and physical health.
–Lean towards the Mediterranean diet. Not only does it help combat harmful chronic inflammation, but a recent study conducted by Harvard University found that it beat out a low-fat diet, a low-carb diet, and the American Diabetes Association diet as the most effective for losing weight (and getting that beach body on point).
–Drink the right kind of tea. Steeping a mug is one of the easiest ways to digest medicinal herbs—which have some major healing properties.
–Eat more “super” grains. Move over rice, ancient grains offer up some pretty impressive nutritional profiles, including a hefty dose of fiber and protein—satiating nutrients that aid in weight loss and help keep mood and energy levels stable.
–Trade red meat for plant-based recipes. That burger may taste great, but it fuels inflammation in the body. Lentils, beans and nuts make great stand-ins for a flavorful meal with anti-inflammatory properties.
–Swap the drive-thru for homemade versions of your fast-food favorites. Sometimes those McDonald’s cravings are real. Taking the happy meal in-house satisfies cravings without the super-sized side of fat and sodium.
–Embrace fermented foods. Kimchi, sauerkraut and kefir deliver important probiotics that provide loads of beneficial bacteria to balance your gut microbiome.
–Add leafy greens to your comfort foods. The kale salad streak can only last for so long before a rainy day, a hangover, or a stressful meeting at work calls for a grilled cheese STAT. It’s okay: Comfort foods can still have a nutritional benefit when you bury some leafy greens inside.
–Choose a smarter bedtime snack. Leave the sleeve of Oreos in the pantry. The right snack can actually induce sleep. Peanut-butter toast, baked sweet potatoes and oatmeal banana cookies are all smart options.
–Stock up on the real superfoods. Clay, spirulina, and blood sausage are all passing fads. The real stars are common, everyday things you can find in your corner bodega.
–Cook with more spices. Tap into the medicinal properties of your common pantry herbs and spices. They have the power to reduce inflammation and improve digestion, assimilation, absorption, and tissue regeneration.
–Expand your protein horizons. Meat is great, we know. But experimenting with plant-based proteins like nuts, beans, and peas will help cut back on saturated fats, and lower BMI, blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol levels.
–Unleash the power of the cookie sheet. Making homemade meals is much less painstaking when you have only one pan to wash. Have a sheet pan on hand? Fajitas, Cajun chicken and a clam bake are served.
–Time your nutrient intake around exercising, especially if you’re logging two-a-days to get in shape for your spring break trip. 30 grams of carbohydrates soon after training can decrease muscle breakdown and refill your glycogen stores for your next workout.
–Stop counting calories. The misinformed obsession with quantity over quality misguides our consumptive patterns.
–Step away from the soda. How many times do you need to be told it’s liquid poison? New research revealed that soda drinkers gain fat in the worst possible places. Those who drank the most sugary drinks gained 27 percent more visceral fat.
–Eat a breakfast that will boost your productivity. Research shows that breakfast boosts performance and alertness, and stabilizes blood-sugar levels, which will keep you energized until lunch. Set yourself up for morning success by having meals you can grab with your eyes half open as you run out the door.
–Bounce back from an energy slump with protein, whole-grains and healthy fat. The combo keeps you alert and energized.
–Cure a bad mood with complex carbs. Carbohydrates prompt the brain to make more serotonin, a neurotransmitter that elevates mood. And incorporating low-glycemic, complex carbohydrates provides a steady rise in blood sugar that can have a calming effect on the brain.
–Learn the purpose of a snack. No, it’s not to fill a craving. Or keep your hands busy when you’re bored at work. It’s a mini meal that should provide nutrients to stabilize blood-sugar levels.
–Feed the good gut bacteria with fiber. Not only does it fill you up (preventing hangry binges) and aid in weight loss (hello, bathing suit season), but fiber promotes a healthy gut microbiome. The nutrient is important in switching the bacteria from bad to good: The bacteria we want more abundance of feeds on fiber, the bad bacteria feeds on sugar.
Note: This post was originally published by Everup. For more content like this visit www.everup.com.
