I Need to Start Eating Better: Where Do I Start?

What you eat affects you in both the short and long term. You’ve probably noticed how a particularly unhealthy meal makes you feel sluggish, bloated, or sick. Conversely, you might have observed that you have more energy on the days you eat better.

The effects of a healthy diet aren’t just felt in the moment, either. Studies show that eating well can increase your lifespan by as much as a decade.

Even knowing that, it’s not necessarily easy to make good food choices day after day. We’re here to help. Our team at Medical Associates of North Texas offers dedicated nutrition support at our office in Fort Worth, Texas. Whether you’re trying to get more energy, lose weight, or live longer, we can support you.

When you choose our nutrition care, we tailor a program to your goals, preferences, and current lifestyle. We aim to make it easier for you to eat healthily — and to actually enjoy doing so. That means we provide customized guidance.

Still, some tips apply to most folks. If you’ve been trying to eat better, these general suggestions can help you get started.

Stock up on whole foods

Health experts recommend eating as many whole foods (i.e., those that aren’t processed) as possible. Stock up on:

Fruits
Vegetables
Fish
Whole grains like brown rice, oats, and quinoa
Nuts and seeds
Legumes like beans and lentils

When you’re shopping, check the nutrition label when you buy processed foods. Try to opt for foods that are low in:

Saturated fats
Trans fats
Added sugar
Excess salt (more than 1.5 grams per 100 grams of food)

Everyone deserves a little treat, but choosing the best options you can helps you move toward greater health.

Make it easier to make healthy choices

Once you get your grocery shop home, be strategic about how you store it. Keep produce on the counter where it’s in view and easy to grab. Put any unhealthy treats you purchased somewhere more difficult to access, like a high shelf.

Then, use your dishes to support your healthy eating choices. Opting for a smaller plate helps you control portion sizes. Eat what’s on your plate and wait for half an hour. If you’re still hungry, you can always have more.

The same goes for snacks. Never bring a whole bag or box with you. Instead, portion out your snack into a bowl or onto a plate.

Drink lots of water, too. This helps you feel fuller, making it easier to avoid impulsive eating.

Pretend like you’re on Ozempic®

Ozempic might seem like a miracle weight loss drug, but it doesn’t work without the involvement of the person taking it. Ozempic slows down digestion, helping people feel fuller longer. They won’t lose weight if they keep eating as much as they were before. They need to listen to their body and adjust their food intake accordingly.

You can implement this healthy eating strategy without a prescription. Try to pay attention to how you feel before, during, and after eating.

Tuning into the signals your body sends you helps you avoid overeating. It also helps you more easily recognize all the ways eating healthily helps you feel better. And that can motivate you to stick with your new, more nutritious diet.

Again, these are just some general tips. For a personalized nutrition plan from our team of experts and support to stick with it, visit us. You can send us a message online, call our office at 972-433-7178, or simply walk into our Fort Worth office for same-day care.