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Healthy eating has increasingly become a matter of awareness and concern throughout the western world. In the United States, malnutrition has reached epidemic levels due to the growing toxicity of what we have come to know as the standard American diet. This common Western diet involves a woefully disproportionate intake of foods that are sourced from animals, processed sugars, high-fructose corn syrup and genetically engineered organisms that all work against sustainable nutrition.
Prolonged periods on the standard American diet can lead to a plethora of serious health issues such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and many more. Cases of these health hazards are showing up in increasing numbers in both adults and children. If prolonged poor nutritional intake doesn’t trigger a severe illness, it will likely lead to perpetual fatigue, lethargy, mind fog, and will certainly prevent a person from operating at optimal physical and cognitive efficiency.
With all of these hazardous and potentially lethal health risks that are associated with mainstream eating habits, it’s no wonder the subject of diet is coming into the public limelight. This uptick in awareness has paved the way for foods that carry the organic stamp to be mainstreamed into large supermarket chains. Furthermore, specialized health food stores have opened and continue to open for business all throughout the west. So, with this level of accessibility, why isn’t everyone jumping on the health diet wagon? One common reason is time constraints. Many people claim that they are simply too busy to consistently prepare healthy meals due to their tight schedules.
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Eating healthy on the fly
The belief that eating healthy takes an abundance of spare time is a common misconception. While preparing a nutritious home-cooked meal is indeed quite time-consuming, there are plenty of time-efficient ways to give your body the nutrients it needs to thrive. That said, doing so will absolutely require worthwhile planning and effort. With proper motivation, even the busiest workaholic can live a lifestyle of utmost health. Here are a few time-conscious healthy eating methods even the busiest of individuals can maintain:
1.Invest in a juicer
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” is a common axiom for a reason. A healthy breakfast is necessary to jumpstart the body’s metabolism which boosts energy and cognitive function throughout the day. A juicer is the ideal device to extract the nutrients needed to properly start a day for anyone, busy or otherwise. It is wise to start the day with a meal that has cancer-fighting properties so the antioxidants will remain in the bloodstream throughout the entire day, and a juicer makes doing so simple and fast! Juice is much easier to digest than solid food, and there is a myriad of healthy options to choose from when concocting a delicious liquid breakfast. To list a few of the more popular and exceptionally nutritious juice ingredients:
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Cabbage
- Cucumbers
- Arugula
- Blueberries
- Carrots
- Beets
- Watermelon
- Goji Berries
With a refrigerator and a large airtight container, one single juicing session can make breakfast for the next 3 to 5 days! Even the most severely time-challenged can just pour and go! It is typical to choose 4 or 5 ingredients per juice and experiment to find out what best suites one’s own personal tastes.
2.Befriend a steamer
Vegetable steamers have proven track records for being great companions to the health conscious. In just a few minutes, you can cook just about any vegetable of your choice to perfection. Broccoli is especially good for steamers because it cooks very fast, and it is one of the greatest anticarcinogenic super foods on the planet. It is also packed with protein, vitamin C and fiber. In just 7 minutes, you can cook broccoli to perfection in a steamer. Top it off with some shredded organic cheese for a highly nutritious, energizing meal.
3.Smart meals planned in advance
When schedules are tight people find themselves going food shopping while hungry, and then ending up making more high-calorie, unhealthy food choices. Taking just a little time to plan meals in advance will make the healthier options immediately available, and also remove us from those tempting moments and poor decisions at the grocery store or the fast food line. It does not detract precious time from a full schedule. It only requires using recipes that can be made ahead of time and then eaten for the rest of the week. An added benefit of making and storing meals is the reduction of the stress that comes with daily food decisions and preparation throughout a hectic week.
4.Take supplements!
The task of supplying all the nutrients that the fastidious human body requires on a day-to-day basis is daunting, if not at times impossible. Even so, it is important to know where those nutritional gaps are when they do inevitably exist. It will take a bit of research to figure out what areas are fulfilled and others that may be lacking. Once the areas that can use improvement are known, visit a vitamin and supplement store for a convenient way to fill those gaps.
The task of maintaining a healthy diet when so much else is on your plate might seem arduous at first. But once you get past the hump of figuring out the routine that works best for you, you’ll find that it becomes easy, and even second nature. And really, what is more importantly than your health? Hopefully the above information will serve as inspiration for organizing that tight schedule to include healthy and also time-saving activities.