Let’s Talk About Diet
There is a saying among gym-goers that just 30% of your physique comes from working out, and 70% comes from your diet. No study actually proves this exact ratio, but it points to something real: diet plays a major role in maintaining your health and fitness.
On social media, working out and dieting tend to be seen primarily as ways to change your appearance, as if there is something wrong with how you look. But diet is about much more than just how you look: it is also deeply connected with your mental health. You should watch your diet even if you are perfectly healthy, just like how you should wear a life jacket or seatbelt even when you probably won’t need their lifesaving support on a day-to-day basis. Today, I will introduce three specific measures you can take as baby steps down the road of healthier living.
1. Drink More Water
You probably think I’m going to ask you to “drink 8 glasses of water a day.” What if I told you that’s a myth? The U.S. National Academies’ actual guidance is closer to about 15 cups of total fluid a day (including what we get from food) for teen boys and adult men, and about 11 cups for teen girls and women. Refill your water bottle 3–4 times throughout the school day, and you’re set.
Remember, hydration can come from more than just water: soups, tea, and coffee all count, and Fox notes that “a majority of your water intake should come from food products” — especially water-rich fruits and vegetables (though this cuts against the more commonly cited 80/20 beverage-to-food breakdown, so take it as one dietitian’s emphasis, not universal consensus). Thirst is a good guide your body gives you as to when you should drink. Skip sweetened soda and energy drinks, they’re calorie-dense and rough on your teeth. Instead, go for calorie-free or nutrient-dense options like water, unsweetened tea, or reduced-fat milk instead.
2. Think: “Is This Too Much?”
No one expects you to live in a cave and only eat grass for the rest of your life; instead, try to be more aware of how often you eat unhealthily.
So take everything in moderation. The occasional dinner where we indulge in unhealthy foods and snacks? Popcorn when you’re at a movie theater? Ice cream during a trip to the beach? These are all perfectly fine, as long as they don’t happen too often.
Next time you reach for another bite of chocolate cake, ask yourself, “Is this too much?”
3. Cut Down on Sugary Foods and Saturated Fats
The American Heart Association notes that dietary patterns high in added sugars and saturated fat are consistently associated with adverse cardiovascular health and higher cardiovascular disease risk. Consuming too much saturated fat is also linked to high blood cholesterol, which increases your risk of developing heart disease.
Unfortunately, many popular comfort foods have saturated fats — foods like sausages, butter, hard cheese, cream, cakes, and biscuits, just to list a few. Try swapping one saturated-fat snack for one with unsaturated fats, like nuts and avocado, instead of eliminating all fats at once.
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These three steps aren’t going to make your life miserable. Having a healthy diet is likely connected to mental well-being, meaning you will end up feeling healthier and happier in the long run when you start changing your diet right now. And remember — small, sustainable swaps beat dramatic overnight changes every time.