March is National Nutrition Month. This means that not only will many of us in Florida give our homes a good spring cleaning in the next few weeks, but some of us will also approach our dietary habits with the same spirit of revitalization. Doing so will not only help to ensure better physical health and improved quality of life; it may also have a beneficial effect on your health insurance.
Here's why: many health insurance providers are more likely to charge lower premiums if you can demonstrate you take care of yourself by eating healthfully. Similarly, if you require little to no medical treatment because you practice preventative medicine through a nutritious diet, your health insurance provider may put less of a strain on your pocketbook.
Whether your eating habits are due for a major overhaul or just a few improvements, it's always smart to start small. Rather than making a sudden, radical change to the way you eat, gradually integrate more nutritious foods into your existing diet. Continue doing so over a period of time until you reach a point where virtually everything you eat is healthful. Then, mix things up a bit, eating a broad spectrum of ever-changing nutritious, nourishing foods each day to keep things colorful and interesting.
Here are 10 easy, nutrition-boosting changes you can make this month to promote good health and, hopefully, save yourself some money down the road:
- Banish Junk from the Kitchen
By removing junk foods with little nutritional value from your cupboards, you are effectively reducing your access to them. Replace them with healthful snacks like whole grain crackers, fruits, and vegetables.
- Eat Small Portions Throughout the Day
Keep your appetite in check and your blood sugar stable by eating protein- and complex carbohydrate-rich foods throughout the day. This will boost your overall intake of nutrients and prevent you from binging on an unhealthy, fast food meal, which is so appealing when you're hungry.
- Cut Out Deep-Fried Foods
If it's fried, avoid it. By doing so, you'll stay away from unhealthy trans fatty acids.
- Start Reading Labels
It's best to eat whole, unprocessed foods that don't come in packages. When you do eat packaged foods, read the labels, and choose options that are high in vitamins and minerals and low in sugar, preservatives, and artificial additives.
- White Ain't Right
Foods made with refined white flour lack nutrients. Instead, choose pastas, breads, cereals, crackers, and other products made with whole grains. These fiber-rich foods pack real nutritional punch.
- Order Sauces and Such "On the Side"
At restaurants, ask for your sauces, salad dressing, and condiments to be served on the side of your meal, rather than smothered on top of it. This will give you more control over the amount of fat and calories you consume while eating out.
- Don't Diet
Improving your eating habits by incorporating more nutritious foods is not the same as going on a diet or depriving yourself. There's no reason to be hungry when introducing more nutritious foods to your diet; if anything, you should feel more satisfied (and look better!).
- Say Yes to Supplements
Take a daily multivitamin to compensate for any important nutrients your diet may be missing. Remember, though, that a vitamin is not a substitute for a nutritious diet; it simply functions to fill in any gaps.
- Opt for Organic When Possible
Why consume a load of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, herbicides, antibiotics, medications, and growth hormones with your fruits, veggies, meats, and grains? Go for pure, organic foods whenever you can.
- Drink Up!
Sometimes when you feel hungry and tempted to fill up on some sinful snack, you're really just thirsty. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to maintain hydration, a key aspect of good health.
Contact Insurance Wagon for more information about ways you can save money on your insurance.