Due to high rates of obesity and disease, people are paying more attention to healthy eating than they used to. However, many people are unsure of how to begin when it comes to nutrition. Use this article to learn what you need to know to dump those unhealthy eating habits and welcome a new, healthier you to the world.Start with small steps when trying to improve your diet. You cannot force change overnight. If you try to white-knuckle this change by eating foods you hate, you will fail. Gradually adding in healthy foods over the course of a few weeks will work just as well in the end.Women who are breast feeding or pregnant should pay close attention to meeting their nutritional needs. Pregnant women need to make sure they have enough protein in their diet, but this can be difficult if they are having a hard time eating. Try blending egg whties into your smoothies for more protein. Egg whites have no fat, contain a mere 15 calories and still have 3 healthy grams of protein each to provide an easy way to get protein during pregnancy. Be sure to choose pasteurized eggs for this purpose to avoid salmonella poisoning.It is important that you do not skip your protein needs. Steak is a healthy protein. Pork and chicken can be great sources as well. In addition to making you feel more full, protein also helps muscles grow. This proves how crucial it is.

Dark Chocolate

Instead of milk or even white chocolate, opt for the healthier dark chocolate alternative. Dark chocolate has flavonoids that keep your blood pressure down. Dark chocolate can improve cholesterol levels too.. Eat some chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa for better results. Don’t overdo it with the chocolate as it still contains a lot of calories.Use artificial sweeteners in lieu of sugar. Excessive sugar can result in many adverse health problems, like heart disease. Splenda and Stevia are both good artificial sweeteners. The difference in taste is difficult (or even impossible) to notice.

Part of proper nutrition is to eat plenty of vegetables and fruits daily. You should try to get between 9 and 13 servings a day ideally. While it might sound like quite a bit, it isn’t at all difficult to work them into your diet. Drink a bit of juice at breakfast and use tomato sauce at dinner.Focus on eating more zinc-rich foods when you are recovering from illness or injury. Zinc strengthens the immune system, which wards off illness and allows the body to get better quicker. Strawberries, peaches, what germ and pumpkin seeds are wonderful sources of zinc. These foods also contain some antioxidants.

Vitamin B6.

To decrease your chances of depression in a natural way, eat foods which have Vitamin B6. Science shows that B6 helps regulate the body’s levels of serotonin. An imbalance of serotonin is a major cause of depression. Chicken breast, asparagus and wheat germ all have a lot of vitamin B6. While you want to get plenty of B6 throughout the year, make an even greater attempt when the weather gets cold out.Slowly incorporate healthy foods into your diet. Change does not always happen overnight. Do not shock your system too much by consuming foods that you hate. Add new foods slowly over several weeks to establish better nutritional habits.Hopefully, the information in this article has helped you think about how you can change to a healthier lifestyle. Take advantage of what you’ve learned here, and implement it today. Doing this will bring about major health differences in no time.