By John Krueger (About the Author)

When people think of the word "diet" it implys a timeline, or an end. People will "diet" for a specific event like a vacation or a wedding, lose the the weight they wanted and then proceed to go back to their old eating habits. This leads to constant yo-yoing on the scale, and people not ever learning how to make healthy eating or nutrition a lifestyle or lifelong thing. The word diet also has a negative stigma about it, where people believe that they will never get to enjoy eating or food, and are confined to eating the same boring things over and over. I am writing this to supply you with simple rules or things to do that will make "dieting" the thing of the past and allow you to create a nutritious lifestyle. 

1. Increase the amount of h2o you consume each day.

Your body is more than half way made up of water. This alone should tell you how important water is to you, but water also plays a vital role in things like cell repair, digestion, metabolism, and day to day functions. 

 2. Worry more about eating calories and less about counting them

Yes I know, overall calorie content is important when it comes to any type of health goals. However, many people obsess over counting/tracking their calories and less about consuming nutritious foods. They also stress about consuming specific foods simply because they are low in calorie. Think about reversing that trend and instead worry about the way certain foods make you feel, how they fill you up, and the progress you are making towards your goal when eating them.

3. Eat lots of whole foods.

Focus on creating meals and snacks from non-packaged foods. Try to stay away from shopping in the center isles at the grocery store. Whole, real foods provide us with many things not found in processed or packaged items while also being free of added sugars, chemicals, and oils. By consuming whole foods, not processed foods, we are provided with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Fiber plays an important role in keeping us full, while also aiding in digestion. While vitamins and minerals play a vital role in helping to prevent things like cancer, inflammation, heart diseases or aiding in brain health, weight loss etc. 

 4. Complex Carbs > Simple Carbs

Complex carbs are slower digesting and do not cause a spike in insulin levels where as simple carbs are faster digesting resulting in an insulin spike. These complex versions of carbs reign supreme over their simpler versions due to their nutrient density and nicer effect on your waistline and physique. They can be found mostly in vegetables, and unprocessed grains. To learn more about complex carbs or carbs in general please visit our article here.

5. Don’t be afraid of fat

We are talking about the macronutrient kind of fat, not the kind that causes health issues and wrecks of physiques and confidence. Consuming fat from your eating is not automatically going to cause you to gain weight like majority of people assume. However consuming too much or it, or the wrong types may increase the number on the scale. Foods containing a higher monounsaturated fat content (like olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds) should be your choice over highly processed hydrogenated oils found in things like margarine, coffee creamers, and fried foods.

6. Consume lots of protein

Protein not only helps build muscle (which in itself can help you lose weight and build a healthier you) but also plays a role in controlling hunger because it is digested slower than carbohydrates and also helps regulate your hormones. More muscle mass, and less hunger pangs will help you reach your dream body.