These are times where people can be meticulous of what they eat and be overly conscious of how it would affect their physical shape and wellbeing. You might want to join the club and learn the tricks to having healthy alternatives.

Forget coffee in the morning that cause restlessness, interfere with sleep and contribute to dehydration. Try having green tea in the morning instead of coffee. It is a good beverage to start your day with thanks to its antioxidant, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties, which boost metabolism, aid weight loss, improve brain health, and reduce risks of cancer.

After drinking green tea in the morning, you go ahead and grab the cereal box (that’s not whole wheat) and trust that it’s good for you. Wrong. It’s packed with salt, refined grains and excessive sugar. Put the cereal box down and reach for the oatmeal instead. Because that’s how you get another set of antioxidants, iron, protein, fiber, and much more every morning.

You are also making a mistake by simply drinking commercial beverages. They either have excessive sugar that lead to diabetes or harmful chemicals. Be content with filtered water. If you don’t like the plain, boring taste and really seek the sweetness, trick your own tongue by dropping a slice of lemon into the water before drinking.

Organic foods contain fewer toxins that those who aren’t organic. It’s pretty basic: Buy everything organic from tomatoes to fruits, from herbs to animal products. Make sure to buy only from farmer markets. Grocery stores may trick you just to sell.

On cooking shows and tutorials, butter is often used as a substitute for oil. But it should be the other way around. Extra virgin olive oil has unsaturated fats as well as vitamins E and K, all of which butter do not possess.

It will be surprising to hear that not even mayonnaise is safe for you. It has calories that cause obesity and heart problems. Opt for avocados, mask one to use as a sandwich spread. Mix in lemon juice and a little salt to make creamy dips.

Red meat are healthy, they are rich in iron and protein. The downside is they have saturated fats that cause obesity, certain types of cancers, diabetes, and arthritis. While coldwater fish are rich in omega 3 fatty acids that lower blood pressure, boost memory power, fight depression, better your mood, and fight against cancer.

What’s the difference between refined and whole grains in terms of health? Refined grains lose their essential nutrients when they are milled where as whole grains that hasn’t been milled, retain it. Whole grains are regular cereals, white bread, and white rice. If that’s not enough to convince you, take the word of Dietary Guidelines for Americans, they recommend people to eat more.

When you’re adding flavors to your food while cooking, don’t use salt. It is linked with UTI. Instead, use natural flavorings such as herbs to enhance the flavor of your food.

And lastly, swap your unhealthy foods with healthy ones. Oatmeal for chocolate chips, yogurt for ice cream, roasted nuts for potato chips, dark chocolate for white and milk chocolate, edamame beans for French fries, and fresh fruits for candy