How to Use Food to Improve Your Health

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How to Use Food to Improve Your Health – Guest Article Dr Deborah Brunt

You may have heard of the phrase ‘You are what you eat’ and that’s quite literally true. The lifestyle that you live, and particularly, the food that you eat, has a huge impact on your health and overall well being. And that’s exactly why, if you’re looking to take your health up a notch, the best way to do that is to make good food choices. 

Here’s helping you decode all of that and much more. Read on…

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Choose the Right Foods

When it comes to improving your meals, remember that fad diets aren’t the answer. It takes a conscious effort to eat right, coupled with some healthy lifestyle changes to help you feel better. A healthy, wholesome diet with fresh, organic produce is the first step. 

Consuming more raw fruits and veggies as snacks can be an excellent eating habit to adopt. 

Avoid processed and packaged foods, and unhealthy fat sources in particular. Processed meats and high fat dairy products are again, a big no-no if you’re looking to use food to improve your health. 

Use Healthier Cooking Methods

Simply choosing the right ingredients to add to your meal isn’t enough. It is also important to cook food the right way. Deep frying tends to destroy the nutritive value of your food, and makes it unhealthy in general. Similarly, boiling veggies that contain water soluble vitamins can lead to loss of nutrients.

We love the Instant pot here at The Instant Pot Table and have some great Instant pot recipes you may just love!

When whipping up home cooked meals, choosing healthier cooking options like grilling, baking and broiling. The lesser the culinary effort you put in, the more will be the nutritive value of your food. 

Cook Simple Meals

One of the easiest ways to use food to improve your health is to keep it simple. Not only does it save a lot of your time, but also helps you get the best out of food. Look up simple and healthy recipes to make up your everyday meals. Include more  raw veggies and choose foods belonging to all food groups. 

Here are a few fantastic simple and healthy meal ideas to help you get started:

• Tasty Homemade Tuna Burgers
• Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi
• Bariatric Friendly Soup Carrot & Leek Bisque
• Weight Watchers Chicken Broccoli Casserole
• Easy Instant Pot Beef Stew

Stay Hydrated

This one’s a biggie! Keeping yourself hydrated can also have major benefits for your health. Make sure you stick to low calorie beverages though- water and herbal tea are great options. Avoid sugary drinks, sodas and packaged fruit juices that seem ‘healthy’ but are just not! 

I always try to encourage my daughter to drink plenty of water, especially when we have what we call “headache weather”. If you struggle with your water intake, you might want to experiment with different drinks or try some tasty and delicious homemade Summer drinks. 

Make Small Changes

Teaming up the food changes in your life with some healthy lifestyle changes can help take your health and energy levels up a notch. Getting enough sleep, making exercise a part of your daily routine, cutting back on smoking and alcohol consumption are some good examples. 

If you’re planning to make some food changes, it is always a great idea to consult a dietician or your GP beforehand, especially if you have a health condition and are on medications. You might need to specifically avoid certain foods, which is why, it is always best to get an expert’s ‘yes’ before you get started. 

Try to make healthy eating a part of your life as opposed to making it a ‘diet’ you’re temporarily sticking to. 

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About Angela Milnes

Angela Milnes is a Qualified Early Years Teacher who has specialised in teaching. She has a wealth of experience teaching young children and adults. Angela has also taught cooking classes and loves to share both family recipes and easy instant pot recipes here on The Instant Pot Table. Follow her on Pinterest!