Six ways millennials can adopt healthy eating habits

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The need to eat healthy food is very important today. Long working hours and sedentary lifestyles mean that we are left with hardly any time to exercise leading to unhealthy eating habits and weight gain which may not always work well for our bodies.

Millennials who make for around two-thirds of the Indian consumer market are also known for unhealthy eating habits and this explains the high percentage of Gen Y contending with lifestyle diseases. However, lately, millennials are becoming aware of healthy eating habits for good health and well-being. So if you too belong to Gen Y and are taking the first step toward a wholesome life then the following healthy eating habits can help you to perfect your journey to health:

Make a schedule and stick to it: Making a schedule and then sticking to it religiously will help you to discipline your own eating habits. To perfect the habit, take a diary and write everything that goes into your tummy. In addition, keep a close track of the intake of calories. And count how much you need and how much you spend. This calculation will help you keep tweaking your intake and spending and accordingly, adjust your eating habits. Within 21 days, you will find a considerable change in your eating habits and if you feel, don't hesitate to take the help of a professional nutritionist in the journey.

Evaluate requirements and never skip meals: Depending upon the activity and profession, the nutritional requirements vary from person to person. Your body's needs in terms of macro and micronutrients are unique and hence you must first evaluate your requirement and then make a plan for it. Also, it's important for the millennials to never skip meals, and there is no harm in snacking in between to calm your hunger pangs. Rather than opting for fried foods, popped chips, dark chocolates and energy bars make for a healthy and filling snacking option.

Choose intelligently and say no to junk: Millennials are part of the specific lifestyle and work culture and hence, eating out comes naturally to this chunk of the population. The option is not best from the health perspective but still, you can choose intelligently on those party nights or weekend trips to save your health plans to go haywire. One of the smartest things you can do is to avoid junk food and rather opt for healthier options available on the menu. Consuming Colas and alcohol should also be off your list as both these things can severely hamper your health in the long term.

Choose food over supplements: Today convenience and nutrition are the challenge for most millennials. To stay healthy, it is important to read the label carefully to know what has gone into the making of the product. Also evaluate the nutritional information, especially the content of fat, sugar, and carbs before buying. "Make sure that products you're consuming are free from added sugar and unnatural substances," says Apoorva Gururaj, co-founder, Foodio.fit. Sugar leads to many lifestyle diseases, hence best to avoid it. Another important healthy eating habit is to keep up the intake of your liquid to the optimum. Water not only maintains our body's temperature but also helps in flushing out the toxins from our system. Hence avoid sugar-sweetened beverages too.

Consider plant-based options: Plant-based diets are increasingly becoming popular and for a good reason. Vegan products pack all essential nutrients and are quite easy to digest for our system. In fact, vegan products are now recommended to get rid of many lifestyle diseases including high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart problems among others. Vipen Jain, founder, of Fitspire reveals that the craze of vegan supplements is on the rise among athletes, bodybuilders, and fitness freaks. These plant-based supplements don't cause any bloating and help in the fast and quick recovery of muscles.

Eat dinner before 8 pm: Eating anything heavy after the sunset is not recommended as per our circadian rhythm and hence, you should try to have your last meal of the day before 8 pm. If you can't eat before 8 pm, then it's better to take a light dinner with the preferred option being the green salad or a cup of milk. Also, make sure to walk at least 10-15 minutes after dinner to help the body digest the food properly.

Eating healthy is not rocket science. However, it requires careful planning and dogged determination, especially when it comes to implementing the schedule and sticking to the fundamental principles of health and nutrition. The good thing is that you need not follow fad diets nor do you require some fancy ideas for good health. Just stick to basic, fundamentals rules, closely monitor the unique requirements of your body and you'll be sure to achieve your health goals in an effortless manner.

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