Nutrition and dieting go hand in hand. It is the same for nutrition and fitness and even nutrition and living in general. That’s because nutrition is basically a blanket term that covers the nutrients you ingest. Throughout this article, you will learn some great and easy-to-use nutrition tips to help you keep things healthy and well…nutritious!

Here’s a scary one. Have you ever wondered why dogs only live 10 to 15 years while humans live typically 60 years or more? It all lies within our cells and our metabolism where oxygen plays a big part. Oxygen moves energy throughout our cells breaking the carbs we consume into energy. The problem is, oxygen also breaks down our cells in the same process. This is called “oxidation.” But our cells also have a buffer against the oxygen, these are called “antioxidants” and are prevalent in fruits and veggies.

Dogs have faster metabolisms than humans, which breaks down energy quicker and pumps much more oxygen into the cells. The cells die faster because of oxidation. Dogs also don’t or can’t eat many fruits and veggies, which carry those all important antioxidants.

While humans have slower metabolisms, you can actually speed yours up almost to the speed of a dog’s, simply by eating pure sugar, which the body converts to energy almost immediately. Pure sugar is a high energy carb. Cells turn the sugar into energy, but harm the cells in the process. Cells take time to grow back and they don’t grow back indefinitely! So if you want to live a longer life, eat lots of fruits and veggies and keep away from the pure sugar!

Smoothies are a great diet drink that can also act as a meal or desert. All you need to make it is a blender, along with any ingredients necessary for the smoothie of your choice. Fresh fruit, yogurt, and milk are the main ingredients and all of those are exceptionally healthy foods.

Make sure to start each day by eating a nutritious breakfast. This is the most important meal of the day and is much needed fuel to begin the day. Try eating items like oatmeal, low-fat yogurt, smoothies, whole grain toast, whole grain waffles and lean meats. This will not keep you full, but will help keep you full until your next meal.

To choose healthier aliments, you should know what you are buying and eating. A lot of products are advertised as ‘diet’ or as ‘light’. This does not necessarily makes them healthier. They usually contain more chemicals to make up for the missing ingredients, or do not contain enough calories to give you the energy you need.

Most of us have a “sweet tooth” that needs to be satisfied. How we satisfy it, has great importance for our health. Refined sugars, which is found in many processed foods, ,are detrimental to our health. Vegetables such as carrots, beets and winter squash are naturally high in sugar and are healthy. For the intense sweet taste that we sometimes crave, honey and maple syrup are recommended.

Eat raw foods. As you get older, your body has a harder time digesting foods, making it less likely that you will be able to extract all the vitamins and nutrients from processed and cooked foods. Raw foods have more nutrients, therefore it’s easier for your digestive system to access them.

A great nutritional tip is to set a good example for your child. You want to make healthy choices because – how you eat – will directly influence how your child eats. If you eat unhealthy and your diet is terrible, chances are your child will adopt the same habits.

Eliminating sodas and soft drinks from your daily routine is one of the most important steps to eating a healthier diet. Most sodas are packed full of calories and contribute absolutely no nutritional value. When you’re thirsty, have a glass of water instead, or at least substitute real fruit juice for soda.

If you normally use cream cheese or butter as a spread for some food items, you should think about using a healthier option. Butter and cream cheese are not very healthy. Peanut butter or almond butter can be good replacements for cream cheese and butter. Peanut butter and almond butter are healthier and are just as flavorful.

Starting a new diet does not necessarily mean that you have to deprive yourself of your favorite foods. Instead, consume your guilty pleasures in small portion sizes and much less frequently. This makes them innocent pleasures! Rather than rewarding yourself for sticking with a diet by eating a normal-sized treat, linger over a smaller, healthier portion.

Remember, whether you’re trying to lose some weight or gain some muscle or anything in between, proper nutrition is essential. We are what we eat. What you’ve just read here are some great nutrition-based tips. Don’t forget to use these tips in your day-to-day life for optimum results.

Using Nutrition To Look And Feel Great was originally published on Spring