13 Healthy Eating Tips for Super Busy People

Healthy eating is one of the things that must be done to maintain a healthy body. Not only that, the benefits, healthy food also has a good impact on your mood everyday . What are the healthy food menus to keep the body in shape? Should you follow the perfect 4 healthy 5 food rules that have been legendary since before? Let's see the following explanation

The principle of eating 4 healthy 5 is out of date

Maybe the perfect 4 healthy principle has become a slogan that continues to ring in your memory. This slogan may also have you memorized since childhood. However, did you know that the slogan is no longer used now? Why is that, huh?

This slogan initially emerged as a campaign in 1952. Since then, 4 healthy 5 perfectly has always been the main principle if you want to live a healthy life. Then over time and the development of science, this slogan is no longer in line with life today.

Therefore, the Indonesian Ministry of Health has released its successor, the Balanced Nutrition Guidelines (PGS). This eating principle has just been issued and ratified in 2014, so that not many people know that 4 healthy 5 is perfect no longer applies.

The following is the reason why the perfect 4 healthy 5 slogan is considered less fitting and eventually replaced with a Balanced Nutrition Guide.

1. Eating healthy is not enough

In the past, you might have thought that if you wanted to live a healthy life then you just had to fulfill the principles of eating 4 healthy 5 perfectly. This means that every meal must have staple foods, side dishes consisting of animal protein and vegetable protein, vegetables, fruit, and milk as a complement.

In fact, food is not the only determinant of your health status. Choosing healthy food alone is not enough to maintain your overall fitness and health.

In this new guideline, some other recommendations are mentioned if you want to live a healthy life. Among them is exercising regularly, regulating food portions, monitoring body weight regularly, and maintaining personal hygiene and the surrounding environment.

2. Milk is not required to be complementary

If you think that your new healthy diet will be perfect if you drink milk, then you are wrong. Milk is no longer required to be included in your daily healthy diet. Because milk has the same content as animal protein side dishes.

While other ingredients in milk such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron, you can also find it in various other animal proteins . So don't worry you are not healthy because you haven't been drinking milk all this time.

3. There is no portion provision

In the slogan of eating old healthy foods, there are no provisions and rules for how many meals a day. In fact, the provision of eating portions is very important to prevent you from experiencing obesity and various chronic diseases.

Meanwhile, in the Balanced Nutrition Guide you can also get a portion of a healthy food menu in your dinner plate.

4. Food ingredients must vary

The more ingredients the healthy food menu you eat, the better the nutritional content. In the Balanced Nutrition Principle, it is also emphasized to consume various types of food ingredients.

Not only depends on one type of food, such as staple foods that can be replaced with corn, noodles, sweet potatoes, or potatoes - do not have to keep rice. Whereas in the previous slogan there is no such message.

5. You also have to drink lots of water

In 4 healthy 5 perfect, it is not stated that you should consume mineral water. In fact, fluid fulfillment is very important to maintain adequate fluid in your body. The best liquid to meet your needs is only mineral water.

Therefore, in the Balanced Nutrition Guidelines you are advised to drink at least 8 glasses of water per day or according to each need.

Tips for eating healthy food for busy people

Deadlines are pursued , meeting schedules are tight, overtime until night, having to take care of the house, and other busy times sometimes make people who are busy managing food intake difficult. Usually, they only choose foods that are fast and easy to get so they don't take up much time.

In fact, healthy food intake is important to support human health, control weight, improve brain performance, and increase energy all day. Here are tips and options for healthy foods that are easy to get for busy people.

1. Breakfast

Breakfast is very important to support energy and help control blood sugar. Avoid breakfast with foods that contain simple carbohydrates and sugar. A healthy food menu at breakfast is recommended to eat:

• Foods with high complex carbohydrates include oatmeal, brown rice, cereals, fruit and vegetables.
• Foods that are high in fiber include wheat cereals and chia seeds .
• Protein-rich menus, nuts, grains, almonds, low-fat milk, yogurt, and eggs are rich in protein.
• Foods with good fats from nuts, seeds, avocados and coconuts. 

2. Don't drink coffee mostly

Most coffee will overload your liver, make you dehydrated (because coffee is a diuretic or increase the speed of urine formation), and increase the risk of unstable blood sugar.

The liver is an organ that cleanses your body's toxins, so if your liver is overburdened, then your chances of getting sick and increasing your body weight. Reduce coffee consumption or maybe if you can do not consume coffee. Eat herbal teas that are beneficial to the body, for example:

• Dandelion root tea can help the liver cleanse the body's toxins
• Ginseng tea to help increase energy
• Oolong tea can help you lose weight
• Green tea  to increase concentration
• Mint leaf tea to reduce stomach aches

3. Drink lots of water

Don't forget to drink a lot. Minimum of 8 glasses of water a day so that your energy levels remain high, your digestion is smooth, and your concentration is maintained.

When your body is dehydrated, sometimes your body will actually give the wrong signal, namely the sensation of hunger. You can drink water 20 minutes before or 60 minutes after eating. 

4. Reduce eating packaged foods

In general, packaged foods contain lots of sugar, salt, stabilizers, preservatives, artificial flavors, artificial colors, and so on. These food ingredients are not good for health. To consume more healthy foods, avoid eating packaged foods and fast food.

5. Eat fresh food

Fresh meat, fish, nuts, wheat, fruit and vegetables are healthy foods that are good for health. If you want to bring a snack , bring nuts or fruit and vegetables cut into small pieces.

6. Pay attention to the results of the food process in the restaurant

When ordering food in a restaurant, pay attention to the process of making food in the menu, whether the food is steamed, boiled, baked, or burned. Try to avoid fried foods, dry cooked food with high heat or add oil or fat, or au gratin where your food is sprinkled with heated cheese on top.

Foods with such processing process contain high fat and calories. You better choose a healthy food menu that is boiled or baked.

7. Reduce alcohol consumption

For each glass of alcohol you drink, balance by drinking a glass of water. Alcohol makes you dehydrated, gets drunk (alcohol poisoning), and interferes with sleep patterns. For men, do not consume more than 2 glasses of alcohol a day. Meanwhile, for women the safe limit is not more than a glass a day.

Other alternative drinks such as mild alcohol, Caesar Caesar, white wine spritzer, sparkling water, or even drink water with lemon slices. Lemon water is very good for health. For example increasing energy, helping digestion, improving the immune system, helping detoxification, helping to lose weight, and helping skin care.

8. Eat healthy foods high in fiber

Instead of eating white rice, choose brown rice that is richer in fiber. You can also replace white bread that you normally eat with whole-grain bread. Besides being higher in fiber, whole grain bread and brown rice also makes you full longer so you can move around all day smoothly.

9. Bring your own healthy snack 

Wherever you go, take healthy snacks such as fruit cut into small pieces, juice, oatmeal, yogurt, fresh vegetables cut into small pieces, or nuts. Eat your snack every 3 hours to help keep your blood sugar steady and prevent you from overeating during meal times.

10. Do not overeat

Eat enough at mealtime, which is about 80 percent full and don't get more than that. If you still feel hungry 10 minutes later, then eat a little more.

Overeating not only causes weight gain, but also inhibits your digestive system and can lead to more serious diseases such as diabetes. Yes, even though you eat healthy food, the portion still has to be controlled. 

11. Increase consumption of fruits and vegetables

Eat lots of fruits and vegetables every day. Look for colorful, fresh fruits and vegetables, and don't forget to wash them first to remove chemicals or pesticides that may be present in the fruits and vegetables.

Choose green vegetables, such as kale, spinach, or broccoli. Green vegetables contain lots of vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to health.

12. Eat regularly and on time

Your metabolic rate will slow down at night. It is advisable to eat healthy foods before 8 pm so that your body has time to process the food you eat and cleanse toxins in your body so that you avoid excess weight. Try to always eat regularly, huh. 

13. Take supplements

Regardless of how well you eat healthy food, no one has perfect nutrition in the body. With an environment that contains many substances that are not good for our body, or stress because work can affect the nutrients in our body. The following are the supplements recommended for consumption:

• Multivitamin or mineral supplements
• Probiotic supplements
• Vitamin B complex (to help reduce stress, increase metabolic work and help improve the immune system)
• Supplements that contain essential fatty acids omega-3 or omega-6
• Fish oil (to help improve brain work, improve the digestive system, reduce stress, and control appetite)

Everyone has different nutritional needs. Consult with a nutritionist to discuss what supplements are right for you.

All the tips mentioned above are things that are quite easy to do, no matter how busy you are. Always remember that your health is more important than your busy life.

Keep in mind that the key to healthy living is the dedication and motivation of yourself to start a healthy life. So, even though you are busy, don't forget to keep a healthy diet menu for your health.

Eating healthy food can also make your mood happy

The delicious healthy foods below contain good nutrients that have been shown to provide energy boosts, lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and increase levels of happy hormones namely serotonin. Here is food and a healthy diet menu that can make the mood be better and cheerful throughout the day:

1. Oranges

Oranges are the storehouse of vitamin C. Vitamin C has various benefits, not just improving the immune system. This vitamin has been shown to be effective in reducing the physical and psychological effects of stress stress.

The highest levels of vitamin C in the body are found naturally in the adrenal glands, and research shows that stress can deplete the body's supply of vitamin C. That is why people who have high vitamin C levels do not show signs of mental and physical stress that are expected when experiencing acute psychological challenges.

What's more, they are reported to be able to recover faster from stressful situations than people with low vitamin C levels in their blood.

2. Cashews

You don't have to eat cashew nuts during Eid. Cashew nuts can be consumed at any time. In addition, this healthy food has been named as one of the best stress relievers among all types of nuts. This is because cashews contain high levels of zinc per ounce, which is enough to cover 11 percent of your daily needs.

Low zinc levels in the body have been linked to high anxiety and a tendency to depression. Especially because the body does not have the facility to store zinc reserves, then you must get the intake every day such as from cashews.

3. Yoghurt

A 2013 UCLA study among 36 healthy women revealed that taking probiotics in yogurt reduced brain activity in areas that deal with emotions, including stress, compared to people who ate yogurt without probiotics or without yogurt at all. This research is small so that more research is needed to ensure the results.

There is no harm in snacking on yogurt as a way to relieve stress. Moreover, yogurt also contains a number of other important nutrients such as protein and calcium.