This Is What a Perfect Day of Eating Looks Like, According to Dietitians
Here's how to keep your metabolism up all day long (and spoiler: dessert is very much included!).
No matter how regimented you are with your diet or hard you work to meal prep, sometimes your day can take an unexpected turn and all of a sudden you have five meetings on your calendar, or have to rush home to pick up your sick kid from school. While it's totally okay to eat the donut or enjoy a Friday night pizza every now and then, it's never a bad idea to equip yourself with healthy eating strategies to ensure that, for the most part, you're staying energized and that your metabolism continues humming throughout the day. Some basic rules to follow are:
Have a meal or small snack every three to four hours. This fuels your metabolism and helps prevent binges and blood sugar crashes.
Combine protein and fiber at every meal. When eaten together, these foods take longer to digest than simpler carbohydrates, so you stay fuller, longer.
Get up, move around, and drink water often. Staying active will help boost your metabolism and ensure you're burning calories to maintain weight loss. But the recommended daily calorie intake varies from person to person (from about 1,550 to 2,100), so if you're active you can go toward the higher end of the range.
Finally, remember that even a healthy day of eating isn't healthy if you eat the exact same things over and over again. Use the principles outlined here to mix and match your own delicious, good-for-you meals.
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