Everyone wants to eat healthier these days but not many people really know how. Avoiding fast food restaurants or eating foods labeled "organic" is a good start but it isn't enough.

The good news is eating healthy is not difficult. Here are 3 ways to start eating healthier today (inspired by Michael Pollan's Food Rules):

Avoid Packaged Foods

Packaged foods are usually processed which makes it last longer but the stuff that keeps food from rotting is bad for you. Unfortunately, most of us will not have the luxury to always buy fresh foods making packaged foods a big part of our lives. The good thing about most food packaging is that they tell you explicitly what foods are bad for you. You just need to learn how to decipher it. The rule of thumb is to avoid ALL foods with packaging that contain these words:

Non-Fat, Low-Fat, Lite

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

"I can't believe it's not ..."

If possible, get out of the supermarket and go to the farmer's market.

Eat Less Meat

I use to make fun of vegetarians all the time. I couldn't imagine life without meat but after countless articles, reports and testimonials from vegetarians, I became curious. I knew that I didn't want to stop eating meat altogether so I decided to be "flexitarian". I started my semi-vegetarian (I ate eggs) exploration eating no meat once a week and found that I had more energy despite a decrease in exercise activity. I am currently a 3-day vegetarian and have never felt better. You don't have to give up meat but if you want to eat healthier, eat less of it, especially red meat. Fish is a good alternative.

Eat Less in General

"Hey, you just ate 3 bowls of salad. I think you should take it easy."

"No. It's ok, this is good for you."

You can be eating the healthiest and freshest foods in the world but if you eat too much of it, it's not healthy. This is an issue I am working on as I have been conditioned growing up to finish everything on my plate. Here are some strategies that I find effective:

1. Eat Slowly and Chew More

2. Use Smaller Cups and Plates

3. Leave Something on the Plate (take it home if you feel bad)

Avoid packaged foods, eat less meat and eat less in general. These are three simple techniques you can use at your next meal. Your health will thank you for it.

I am interested in learning about your healthy eating tips. Feel free share them in the comments section below.

The post 3 Ways to Eat Healthier by Your Next Meal appeared first on Embrace Possibility.

If you are getting 7-9 hours of sleep every day, stop reading this article now.

If you're still reading, then you probably want to sleep more but for some reason can't justify it.

Here are the three reasons why you need to sleep more starting tonight:

When You Don't Sleep, You're Wasting Your Life

Many people believe just the opposite: "I need to savor every minute I have. I can sleep when I die." Sleep helps you to process your life experience and knowledge. If you don't sleep enough, you don't retain what you have gone through which means you have just wasted your day getting experience you're not going to recall. How can you savor life when you don't remember it?

Cheaper Than A Gym Membership

When you are sleep deprived, you interrupt the hormones that regulate your appetite which results in an increase in appetite. Similar to when you starve yourself, sleep deprivation causes your body to think you are in an emergency and it will begin to store fat to help you survive. If you are looking to control your weight, get more sleep.

Stay in Control

When I don't get enough sleep, I can't control myself. I am very irritable, I say things that I don't mean and I let my negative feelings (fear, anger, frustration, etc) get the better of me. Many of my good habits get broken and my bad habits creep back in. If you want self-control, 4 hours of sleep is not going to cut it.

There are many more reasons why you should get more sleep but these three alone provide a compelling argument to get to bed. If you think successful people don't need sleep, read my article on How to Sleep Your Way to Success.

Bonus:

In addition to sleeping more, it's helpful to know whether you're an early bird or a night owl to help you manage your energy. The infographic below might also help those of you failing to become morning people to feel less guilty.

Source: AffordableSchools.net

The post The Three Reasons Why You Should Sleep More appeared first on Embrace Possibility.