10 Evidence-Based Health Lifestyle Tips

31 Shares

Evidence-Based Health Tips

There is no end to the confusion when it comes to nutrition. People who are qualified experts often seem to have different opinions on the very same thing. What the heck are we to do? We need some evidence-based health tips!

Health tips to try today

Despite all the disagreements, there are a few things that are well supported by science.

Among them, we bring you the top 10 health tips which are actually evidence-based to help you make better decisions in your life.

Avoid Excessive Refined Carbs

Truth be told, not all carbs are created equal. They are usually found in either complex form or refined. When eaten, they both metabolize and break down into sugar or glucose for providing energy to the body.

The only difference is those complex carbs found in whole, unprocessed natural foods have more nutritional value. Whereas, refined carbs are the ones stripped off the natural fiber.

So, they are just empty calories with high glycemic index food that promote overeating, obesity, and numerous metabolic diseases.

Track Your Food Intake

Scientifically proven, people who track their food intake in one way or another tend to be more successful at losing weight and sticking to a healthy diet.

Doing so increases a person’s awareness of what, how much, and why one is eating. Thus, helping to cut down on mindless munching we all often indulge in. Self-monitoring in weight loss is therefore highly recommended.

So, gift yourself a food diary today or, even better, log on to your personal nutrition tracker like MyFitnessPal.

Don’t Completely Ignore Saturated Fat

The word fat scares the hell out of most people. In case, you are one among them, it’s important to understand the fact that even if saturated fat raises cholesterol, it also raises HDL (the good) cholesterol.

In fact, saturated fat changes LDL from small to large, which is linked to a lower risk of heart disease. So, do not commit the mistake to go on a war with saturated fat, they are absolutely vital to life.

Avoid Synthetic Trans-fats

Artificial trans-fats, also known as man-made fats are strongly linked to inflammation and coronary heart disease. These fats, are worse than saturated fats and thus should be avoided at all costs.

Not does it only raise LDH (the bad) cholesterol, but also lowers HDL (the good) cholesterol.

Get Quality Sleep

Getting quality sleep every day is as important as exercise and diet, if not more. When your body does not get the required quality sleep, it drives insulin resistance. In turn, throws the appetite hormones out of balance. Thus, reducing the physical and mental performance of a person.

Meta-analysis of short sleep duration even showed that short sleep is linked to an 89% increased risk of obesity in children and 55% in adults. So, get a good night’s sleep.

Do a Little Cardio, or Just Walk

Doing cardio is one of the best exercises a person can do to stay both physically and mentally fit. It is particularly effective at reducing belly fat – one of the most harmful types of fat that often builds around the organs.

Reducing it significantly leads to major improvements in metabolic health. Additionally, regular exercise training can prevent regain of visceral fat for 1 year following weight loss.

So, get on your feet today to at least walk a little.

Take Vitamin D3

Not so long ago, most people got their fair share of vitamin D from the sun. But, nowadays the problem is that most people don’t get much sun. They either live where there is no sun or stay inside most of the time.

Well, truth be told, adequate sun exposure is said to improve bone health, increase strength, and reduce symptoms of depression. So, if you can’t get the minimum amount of sun exposure, make sure to supplement it with vitamin D for greater health benefits.

Supplementing vitamin D with calcium specifically can help reduce cancer risk.

Eat Enough Protein

A lot of experts believe the fact that the recommended daily intake of protein is too low. Therefore, eating enough protein is incredibly important in the everyday diet. It is known to significantly boost metabolism.

A high-protein diet induces sustained reduction in appetite by making a person feel full to curb the intake of more calories. A lot of bodybuilders consume it pre-workout with human growth hormone supplements to make the most out of them together.

Drink Lots of Water

You might already be aware of the numerous benefits of drinking water, aren’t you? However, one important factor is that it can help boost the number of calories you burn.

According to 2 water-induced thermogenesis (2nd study) studies, it can boost the metabolism by 24-30% over a period of 1-1.5 hours.

This, in turn, can amount to 96 additional calories which can be burned if you drink 2 liters of water per day. One study even shows that half a liter of water, 30 minutes before each meal can increase weight loss by 44%.

Avoid Sugary Drinks

Sugary drinks do not get registered by the brain the same way solid foods do. Thus, it is considered one of the most fattening things you can put into your body.

Often they are strongly associated with obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and all sorts of health problems. In fact, artificial fruit juices are of no good too. They contain large amounts of sugar and small amounts of antioxidants that do not negate the harmful effects of sugar.

Wrap-Up

Yes, health and nutrition can be incredibly confusing… but there are many great sources out there to provide you well-backed health tips.

For the latest research and health tips to implement, you can check out Science Daily.

Author
Recent Posts

Evie Dawson

Evie Dawson is a fitness coach and health writer based in Boston, MA. Her passion is to encourage others to rediscover their lifestyle and get inspired for organic living. She occasionally writes about antibacterial soap or tea tree soap.