What and how you eat play a big part in determining how fit and healthy you are. It may take some discipline to change the way you eat, but there's a wide range of diet plans and easy rules that make it possible for you.

Take this list of nutrition rules as tips on how you should eat to stay in tiptop shape.

1. Always eat breakfast.
You've heard it repeatedly, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That's not just a cliche for cereal boxes and oatmeal packs. Eating a proper breakfast will give you more energy, improve your concentration, and develop your mental ability for the rest of the day. There's no need to spend a lot of time preparing breakfast, if that's what you're worried about. You can prepare dishes in advance, like Overnight Oats — store it in the fridge at night and have a healthy breakfast when you wake up! Eating breakfast will not only jumpstart your metabolism, it will also give you energy to get through the whole day.

2. Eat smaller, more frequent meals, rather than fewer large ones.
Eating smaller meals more frequently allows you to keep your blood sugar level normal which can help curb your cravings. Having three big meals in a day may end up storing food as fat instead of burning those calories right away. So lighten the load to make your digestive system work more efficiently. How about trying a serving of Taco Corn Salad or Chicken Fajitas for a healthy meal?

3. Drink plenty of water.
Studies have shown that drinking a glass of water before meals reduces appetite, causing you to eat less and help you lower your caloric intake. Remember that your body needs at least eight glasses of water in order to function properly. Since you're losing water from your body through sweating or urinating, you need to replace it through drinking and likewise through the food you eat. You may even opt to alternate water with other healthy beverages.

4. Focus on controlling or managing your diet; don't rely on miracle weight loss pills and supplements.
"No approved therapeutic claims" is a common tag on most of these magic pills that absorb fat, or special herbal teas that cause you to lose weight. That caution is there for a reason, and it's why you shouldn't rely on supplements to be healthy or to lose weight. Instead, remember to eat healthy no matter what, stick to your calorie goals, and you'll always be on the right path to a more nutritious lifestyle. There's a healthy meal plan to help you start out, courtesy of Del Monte Kitchenomics.

5. Let your body rest.
It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to get eight hours of sleep every night. When you're sleeping, your body recovers and repairs itself from the tiring day it has had. Sleep deprivation can cause serious health problems such as high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes. Because sleep plays a role on how we fight illnesses, sleep loss may reduce our body's ability to fight infections and other illness.

By following these rules every day, you are on your way to improving your nutrition and overall well-being. Keep in mind that having the perfect balance between healthy eating and proper exercise will allow you to live a better life.

Sources:
How Eating More Often Can Help You Eat Less, https://www.fitwatch.com/blog/how-eating-more-often-can-help-you-eat-less
Coping With Excessive Sleepiness, https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/immune-system-lack-of-sleep
Water Keeps You Cool, https://www1.fnri.dost.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=202&Itemid=246
Water: Do You Need 8 Glasses A Day?, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2014/08/should-you-drink-8-glasses-of-water-a-day-infographic/
The 10 Nutrition Rules To Live By, https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2014/03/17/12/34/10-nutrition-rules