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When choosing a meal, a lot of people give consideration to how filling and tasty the food is, rather than whether it’s packed full of nutrients. This is particularly the case when you’re short for time or out and about. So, How to keep your body full of nutrients between meals?
Eating is more than simply tasty flavors and large quantities. It’s about providing your body with a consistent supply of the nutrients it needs to keep you healthy and strong. Depriving yourself of proper nutrients can lead to a weaker immune system, obesity, and other serious illnesses if left unattended for a long time.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to keep your body packed with nutrients in every meal and even between meals. This guide will help you get the most out of what you eat, to support optimal body function.
1. Eating a variety of foods in every meal
One of the primary ways of keeping your body full of nutrients is eating different types of food at every meal. To get it right, make sure that your plate is packed with the necessary nutrients from the five food groups; vegetables and fruits, starchy grains, protein, dairy, and fat. You can be as creative as you like with your recipes as long as you incorporate the necessary vitamins and minerals your body needs. This can help to increase the feeling of fullness in-between meals, and you’ll be full of energy for any task or exercise you take on.
You can also try supplements like Redcon1 products to help you keep up with your body’s needs and reach nutrient goals.
2. Include healthy fats in your diet
When thinking about fat in food, it’s understandable to automatically assume it’s bad for your body. This is the narrative that’s been peddled for years. However, fat is not synonymous with unhealthy. In fact, there are healthy fats which you must include in your diet.
Fats are responsible for providing your body with the fatty acids needed to grow, produce hormones, and make new cells. Fat also helps some vitamins to be absorbed through your body. Some of the fat-soluble vitamins are Vitamins K, D, E, and A, which are essential for maintaining health.
Healthy fats are stored in your body’s fatty tissues. These tissues help to protect your organs from trauma. A moderate amount of excess calories will be held in your body as reserved energy, keeping you going throughout the day.
Although fat is required in your diet, be aware that saturated fat is not good for you. You must limit your consumption of cakes, pastries, processed meats, and fast food, as these are very rich in saturated fat.
3. Consume vitamin C with iron
Plant-based iron sources such as fruits, vegetables, and legumes help provide your body with iron, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins. These have very few calories, yet they help you feel fuller for longer.
When you pair iron sources with vitamin C-rich foods, it actually helps increase iron absorption, satisfying your body’s need for this nutrient. Vitamin C-rich foods include cauliflower, oranges, capsicums, and Brussel sprouts.
Try pairing the foods mentioned above with legumes or red meat, and let your body savor the iron and vitamins you get from a single meal, keeping you full for more extended periods.
4. Rehydrate
Everyone knows that water is vital to survival. Water also helps decrease your hunger between meals. In fact, some people can survive for an extended period of time without food, as long as there is water. Meanwhile, even with food, it’s hard for people to survive without any water.
Drinking water before every meal is said to decrease your hunger, resulting in reduced calorie intake from your meal. The water has the ability to stretch your stomach, which then sends signals to your brain that you are already or almost full.
Besides that, your body also needs sufficient water for your digestive system to get to work. Your digestive system relies on your hydration level since your blood cannot transport the absorbed nutrients without the help of water in your system. Therefore, always remember to drink water between meals so that nutrients will be distributed around your body.
5. Opt for foods rich in fiber
Fiber-richer foods can also stretch your stomach, slowing its emptying rate and encouraging the production of fullness hormones. This is why experts recommend eating more whole grains for people who are trying to lose weight. Whole grains are rich in fiber and can vastly help reduce your feelings of hunger, resulting in lower food intake.
Whole grains are usually best eaten during breakfast time to keep you feeling full until lunch. This also decreases the chances of you eating snacks between meals that are not always healthy for your body.
6. Reduce caffeine and alcohol intake
Excess alcohol consumption is known to reduce your digestive enzymes, making it more challenging to break down the nutrients from the food you eat. The more frequently you consume alcohol, the more you’re depriving yourself of the nutrients your body needs to perform well.
Aside from alcohol, it can help if you lessen your intake of diuretics like coffee; in some circumstances, this can irritate the lining of the stomach, making it more difficult for nutrients to enter the bloodstream. As an alternative, it’s best to consume fruits and vegetables that have natural digestive enzymes, such as papaya and pineapple
7. Manage your stress levels
You may have noticed that every time you feel stressed, or anxiety comes over you, you tend to overeat, or choose not to eat anything at all. Either way, you’re depriving your body of the nutrients it needs.
Stress has the power to slow down your digestion by increasing your cortisol levels. High cortisol can be a cause of food cravings, which might lead you to eat just about anything, without considering nutrient values.
As a solution, try to practice deep breathing techniques whenever you start feeling stress, to keep your digestive system working, and keep your mind off the thought of eating. Stress is only a trickster making you think you need to eat when you’re probably not even hungry!
Conclusion
The tips mentioned above are only a few simple ways to help keep your body full of nutrients between meals. The most important tip of all is never to miss any of your meals. Skipping meals is a sure way to deprive your body of nutrients and energy. As the famous saying goes, your health is wealth, so take care of it in every way you can.