According to studies, eating well leads to a longer life. Here's how to get started:

It all starts with your diet if you want to live a longer, healthier life. According to a recent study, eating fewer red and processed meats and more fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and nuts could add up to 13 years to your life.

According to the study, eating more legumes, such as beans, peas, and lentils; whole grains, which are a plant's entire seed; and nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, pecans, and pistachios, resulted in the greatest increases in longevity.

Plant-based diets are gaining popularity as a healthy option. In fact, according to Dr. David Katz, a specialist in preventive and lifestyle medicine and nutrition who has published research on how to use food as preventative medicine, diet can be as important as blood pressure, temperature, and pulse rate.

Are you ready to improve your health? Here are five expert-recommended methods for improving your diet.

1. Track your current eating habits

Many of us eat mindlessly, not fully comprehending what we are putting into our bodies. That's why, according to Kathleen Zelman, a registered dietitian nutritionist, becoming aware of your true eating patterns is the first step."Write down everything you eat for a day, including time, location, and other elements that influence your eating patterns," Zelman advised. "Then take a step back, examine the situation more closely, and devise a strategy for improving."

When you first start changing your diet, don't attempt to be flawless, she warned. "Instead, seek for modest steps you can keep up with. Then repeat the process the following week."

2. Plan for success

Dr. Tom Rifai, who teaches a continuing education session on nutrition and metabolic syndrome at Harvard Medical School, remarked, "We eat what surrounds us."

He recommends planning ahead to change your eating environment, which includes your home, workplace, and car. Pack healthy snacks and lunches, and don't forget to factor in travel time. "Stop at a food store before you come to the hotel," he advised, "so you can equip your room like you would your house."

3. Remove sugar from breakfast

Start your day off right by eliminating sugar from your breakfast, says Dina Aronson, a lead dietitian with Diet ID, a company that specializes in dietary evaluation and health behavior change.

"Cutting sugar from the first meal of the day has so many benefits," she stated. "Your blood sugar remains stable; your energy and creativity remain high, and the tone for the day is established." "Because breakfast is a meal that most people eat every day," she said, "rethinking breakfast is a potent approach to habit development." "If no sugar is made a rule, people will grow to love it, and it will become a habit."

4. Make one meal meatless

Experts advise that replacing one meat-based meal a day with a plant- or grain-based one is the simplest way to begin eating more plants. Start with lunch: a meatless salad with lentils, healthy grains, or beans gently raises blood sugar levels, giving your brain the energy it needs to get through the afternoon slump. It also helps people eat less at night, according to scientists.

5. Eat what you love

Although we all know that fruits and vegetables are good for us, they aren't often our favorite foods. However, in order for this new habit to hold, you must love eating wonderful, healthy cuisine, according to Aronson.

"How can you enjoy nutritious eating without it ever feeling like a punishment and always feeling like a reward?" "Find out what you enjoy," Aronson advised. "Do you enjoy barbecuing? Cauliflower roasted with a barbecue rub Delicious! \s" "Work with an expert or consider methods to incorporate the flavors of foods you enjoy into your everyday routine until eating those items becomes second nature," she advised.

However, eating alone will not ensure a longer and better life. It's important to exercise every day, and it doesn't have to be in a gym. According to studies, merely moving as much as possible each day, such as going for a walk in the woods, can enhance health and reduce stress.

Stress management, obtaining roughly eight hours of decent sleep, and having close, loving relationships are all aspects that will improve your longevity.