Starting at a new school, changing jobs, or even a shift in seasons can all affect your eating habits. However, no matter how your environment changes, as long as you steadfastly adhere to these 15 small habits, good health will never be far away.
1. Take your multivitamin after breakfast. Research shows that taking a suitable multivitamin is highly beneficial for your health.
So, why after breakfast? First, it can provide your body with the nutrients it needs for the day, giving you the energy to work and study. Second, it prevents overburdening your kidneys.
2. Drink two glasses of water before each meal. This will keep your body well-hydrated and help control your portion size. A Dutch study showed that drinking two glasses of water before a meal can reduce hunger and food intake, thereby aiding in weight loss.
3. Add coffee to milk, not milk to coffee. The first thing you do in the morning is fill a glass with skim milk. Drink one-fifth of it, then top it off with coffee. This way, you'll get 25% of your daily vitamin D and 30% of your calcium.
4. Drink a large glass of water after eating fast food. Fast food is typically extremely high in calories and salt. While we can't do much about the fat we've consumed, a large glass of water can help dilute the sodium concentration in your body, keeping you further from high blood pressure.
5. Don't pass up any chance to eat onions. Many people carefully pick onions out of their food, avoiding them at all costs. This is a big mistake. Onions contain a large amount of heart-protecting flavonoids, so eating onions should be our responsibility. Especially when eating less healthy foods like barbecue, the onions inside can be your "lifesaver."
6. If possible, brew black tea with cold water. A recent USDA study found that compared to green vegetables or carrots, a serving of black tea contains more antioxidants, which can effectively help you resist wrinkles or cancer. Cold water allows the beneficial substances in the tea to seep out slowly without being destroyed; all you have to do is wait a little longer.
7. Have a snack at 3 p.m. sharp. Maybe oversleeping can be an excuse for skipping breakfast, but you can't use any excuse to skip your 3 p.m. snack. Supplementing with nutrients between lunch and dinner can help you get through the most tiring part of the day. Yogurt, fruit, or cookies are all good choices.
8. Eat oranges with the "white threads." Many people peel off the "white threads" on their oranges. In fact, these threads are rich in flavonoids and are very beneficial to your health. The slightly bitter yet sweet taste is actually quite pleasant when savored.
9. Set a daily water intake goal. A busy workday might make you realize you haven't had any water all morning only when your mouth is dry. Prepare a 1.5-liter bottle at your desk, fill it with the water you need to drink for the day, and make it a rule to finish it before you can leave work.
10. Can't decide which fruit to buy? Choose the darker one. Although fruits come in all shapes and colors, when it comes to health, darker fruits are definitely superior because they contain more antioxidants. When you're wavering, choosing black fruits like plums or blackberries is a safe bet.
11. Rinse meat chunks with hot water. Laying a thick layer of paper towels on cut meat can absorb the fat. If you want to be more thorough, you can place the meat chunks in a strainer and rinse them with hot water. This method can remove about half of the fat.
12. Change mixed salads to dipping salads. It's not just barbecue that's high in calories; dressings can also add a significant amount of calories to an otherwise healthy salad. So, put your prepared dressing in a small bowl and dip your cut vegetables in it. This way, you'll only need one-sixth of the original amount of dressing.
13. Some "vegetarian" dishes should be eaten with "meat." Eating too much oil is not good, but not eating any at all is even worse. Pumpkin and carrots are rich in beta-carotene, so they shouldn't be cooked too lightly. You can stir-fry them with oil or make a cold salad. If you're making congee with pumpkin, make sure the other dishes you eat contain oil, so they can meet up in your digestive system.
14. Be extra vigilant about fat at dinner. Some people avoid fatty foods at breakfast and lunch, thinking they can make up for it at dinner. This is a wrong idea. Studies have shown that within a few hours of consuming 50-80 grams of fat in a meal, blood vessel elasticity decreases, and blood clotting factors rise sharply. So, even if you've eaten very lightly during the day, don't try to compensate yourself at night.
15. Eat some high-fiber foods before bed. Dr. Judith Wurtman of MIT says, "Eating a low-calorie, carbohydrate-rich snack half an hour before bed can help you sleep." Eating cereal is the easiest way to supplement fiber, and most people only consume half of their daily fiber requirement (25-35 grams). Therefore, it's recommended to take this opportunity to top up your fiber right before you go to sleep.