Introduction

We all know the importance of healthy eating. Nothing can replace a balanced diet, and the food is the most critical factor that directly influences health. After all, the foods we eat enter our organism - all other factors such as exercise and environment are external.
Although healthy eating can also be tasty, the truth is that all unhealthy foods taste great, and that is the only reason why we would consider eating them. So instead of telling you to ditch sweets, smoking and start exercising 6x every week, here we are going to focus on small improvements that can bring significant changes, without requiring too much effort and willpower. Let's begin!

Drink A Glass Of Water Before Each Meal (And One After Waking Up)

Our bodies consist mostly of water, and can't function without it. And yet, so many of us suffer from chronic dehydration. Our lives are too fast, and with so many things on our minds, it is easy to forget to drink water. It's funny how we never forget eating junk food.
One of the best features of water is that it has zero calories, but it can trick your stomach, making you feel full. Drink a glass of water before eating. This simple strategy will make your digestive system think it has food in it, killing off hunger, and making you eat less. So in one shot, you will reduce your total calorie intake, and increase your daily water consumption.
The second part of this tip is to drink water as soon as you wake up. This will have many benefits - although idle, you sweat during sleep, which makes you lose water, and makes your blood thicker, which puts increased pressure on your heart. Drinking water immediately after waking up dilutes your blood, relieving your heart.

Boost Your Breakfast To Kickstart Your Day

Starting your day with a quality breakfast will be a cornerstone of healthy eating habits. Instead of opting for something easy, go for something smart.
Yes, cereals are convenient, but the ones you eat are probably filled with unhealthy junk (more later in the text). If you have to eat them, pick something whole-grain, with minimal additives and sweeteners. But it would be much better to ditch them for something that will fill you up, so you don't have to binge around noon. "Wakey, wakey! Eggs and bakey!" A delicious omelet is not only super satisfying but actually more healthy than you might think. Proteins and fat are packed with energy and are digested slowly, giving your body a steady supply of gasoline to go through your packed work schedule.
By opting for a protein and fat rich breakfast, your blood sugar is less likely to suddenly drop later, which is the primary cause of binging. Yes, you might still get hungry, but a tasty, healthy snack such as fruit or salad, or a smoothie will do.

Healthy, But Still Tasty Substitutions

There are many small tweaks you can make and significantly reduce your caloric intake, or just make your meals healthier. The best of all, you don't even have to pretend it tastes good, as it certainly does!
This site is filled with recipes that are both healthy and tasty, and your only job is to browse through them, finding something you like. If you want to make tweaks, you can look up for substitutions, switching an ingredient here and there for its healthy substitute.
Although they might feel insignificant, those slight changes add up over time, and that is the only thing you need to look and feel better.

Learn to read the Labels

Learning how to read food labels is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Reading the back side of products is not super complicated, and it will help you much better understand what goes into your body.
But beware, it can be heartbreaking! Food manufacturers use tricky tactics to mislead consumers into thinking that their products are healthy. You will probably find out that some of your favorite "healthy" foods are exactly the opposite.
You can completely ignore the claims that are displayed on the front side; those are 99% marketing tricks. Turn the product over, and read the label - manufacturers are obligated by law to present accurate information, no lies there if you know how to decipher it.

It Goes Beyond Food

While food is the most significant factor, other things you do off the table still contribute to your health. Take some steps to be more active and distress.
You don't have to run five miles every day, start by 15-minute walks. It will help you not only get the blood flowing and counter that all-day sitting but also destress, especially if you walk through nature - a local park will do. For activity/destress combination, yoga and pilates are also great. If you don’t have time for that, you can practice deep breathing and meditation technique that you can do anywhere.
And don't neglect sleep. Try to sneak in an hour more of nightly sleep by going to bed earlier. If that's impossible, fit a 30-minute afternoon nap just after work. It will help you re-energize, making that workout you wanted to postpone more likely to happen.
Lastly, do some checkups. First, get some blood tests, to make sure everything is in order. Also, consider a DEXA scan. It will tell you much more about your body than a simple scale ever will giving you exact information about your body fat percentage, but also amount of muscle, bone density, and other valuable body composition parameters. Those will help you determine what your current position is, and what moves you need to make in the future if you want to have a balanced, healthy, and good looking body.

Conclusion

As you can see, the title wasn't a clickbait; it really isn't difficult. Drinking water, eating eggs, reading labels, and switching from full fat to low-fat cheese won't kill you. And taking a 30-minute afternoon nap is not exactly torture.
So no excuses, go ahead and implement at least one tip into your routine. Picking something simple like a 15-minute walk every day will have a positive impact on your health long term. That's all it takes to start healthy habits - a small step in the right direction, as simple as that.

This is a guest post written by Brandon Lee