Simple Ways to Eating Healthy
Eating healthy does not mean having to eat bland tasteless foods or throwing out some of your favorite foods. It does not mean having to spend a fortune on specialty organic foods either. In fact, people can learn to eat healthier by making small simple modifications to their current eating habits.
Healthy eating should be considered a lifestyle modification and not a short term diet. Rather you want to eat healthy in order to lose weight or just improve your health these quick and easy tips will get you started.
Eating Healthy Tip #1 ? Reduce Sugar Intake
Refined sugar is a processed item that gives you zero nutritional benefit. These empty calories can mount up fast and can risk you go over your total daily calorie intake maximum. Too many calories will create weight gain. Try to limit snacks high in sugar or seek out the sugar free versions of your favorite sweets.
Look for the sugars in your beverages as well. A regular flavored pop has up to or exceeds 100 calories and 10 teaspoons of sugar. Drink diet drinks, or better yet, water. Statistics show that people who switched to diet pop and water instead of regular flavored drinks lost up to 20 pounds in just one year with just this alteration in their lifestyle. Fruit juices can also be high in sugars and calories so minimize these to just one 8 ounce glass a day.
Eating Healthy Tip #2 Protein with Every Meal
You should have protein with every meal. Protein requires more energy to digest which means you can burn more calories to process your meal. Protein can come from eggs, beans, lean cuts of meats, fish and even tofu.
Eating protein not only helps burn more calories but helps to build lean muscle mass. The more lean muscles you have the higher your basal metabolic rate. This is the rate at which your body burns calories during the day with normal activities including sleeping. Your metabolic rate is responsible for 60% to 70% of the total calories you burn in a day.
Eating Healthy Tip #3 ? Go Natural
Eating foods in their most natural state will give you the most ?bang for your buck?. Meaning you will get a higher nutrient value from the foods in their natural state. When foods are processed they lose a lot of their health benefits and often raise the fat and/or calorie content.
As an example, a large apple has 110 calories, 0 fat grams, 29 carbohydrates, 5 grams dietary fiber and 1 gram of protein. However a large glass of apple juice has about 150 calories, 0 fat grams, 36 grams of carbohydrates and 0 grams of dietary fiber and protein. So you can see that the processed item there are more calories and carbs and less dietary fiber and protein.
Eating Healthy Tip #4 ? Make it Whole
While eating foods in their most natural state is the best, there are moments when you will need processed foods. Breads and pastas are good examples of foods that cannot come in a natural state as they don?t grow on trees or in the ground. When choosing these processed foods you should find whole grain versions.
When foods are made with 100% whole wheat you are getting more vitamins and minerals than foods made with processed flour. Wheat in its natural, unrefined state has many nutritional value including dietary fiber and is a great addition for your healthy eating habits.
Eating Healthy Eating Tip #5 ? Add Variety
Consume a variety of nutrient rich foods. There are more than 40 nutrients that you should consume each day. No individual food item can provide all of these nutrients, so make your meal plan varied and rich with nutrients. Be sure to eat the fruits and vegetables with all your meals. You need to get protein with every meal. Protein requires more energy to burn than fat so foods high in protein are also great for burning fat.
Make sure to get your calcium needs also with milk, cheese and other dairy products. Opt for fat free or reduced fat products like skim milk or fat free yogurt. Statistics have shown that people who get 3 to 4 servings in a day of low fat dairy items lost more weight than those who did not add dairy in their daily diet.
These are just a handful of tips to help you make minor changes to your lifestyle. By adopting these easy modifications you are on the path to eating healthy for life and losing weight.
January 7th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
January 7th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Healthy eating begins with learning how to “eat smart”. — It's not just what you eat, but how you eat.
Take time to chew your food: Digestion begins in the mouth. Chewing breaks the food into smaller particles and mixes the food with saliva that contains digestive enzymes. Thorough digestion is key to the absorption of nutrients and to good health! Chew your food slowly, savoring every bite. We tend to rush though our meals, forgetting to actually taste the flavors and feel the textures of what is in our mouths. Reconnect with the joy of eating.
Avoid stress while eating. When we are stressed, our digestion can be compromised. Avoid eating while working, driving, or watching TV (especially disturbing programs or the news). Also avoid confrontations, serious discussions or worry during meals. If you feel stressed or upset, stop eating and relax before continuing with your meal. Try taking some deep breaths prior to beginning your meal, or light candles and play soothing music to create a relaxing atmosphere.
Listen to your body: Stop eating when you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eating slowly can help you get a more accurate read on this, as well. Eating just enough to satisfy your hunger will help you remain alert, relaxed and feeling your best, rather than stuffing yourself into a “food coma”!
Eat early, eat often: Remember this old saying: breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper. Starting your day with a healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, and eating the majority of your daily caloric allotment early in the day gives your body time to work those calories off. Also, eating six small, healthy meals throughout the day, rather than the standard three large meals, can help keep your metabolism going and ward off snack attacks.
Healthy Eating Tips: The Basics
You don’t need a degree in nutrition to ensure that you get a well-balanced diet that provides the daily nutrients you need – simply focus on six basic food groups:
Whole Grains: Whole grains include whole wheat, brown rice, oatmeal, whole grain barley and millet. Avoid food with refined grains including many breads, pastas, and breakfast cereals.
Vegetables: Go for the brights: the deeper the color, the greater the concentration of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Dark green and orange vegetables, from broccoli, kale and mustard greens to butternut squash and sweet potatoes, are several excellent choices.
Fruits: Enjoy fruits in a number of ways: fresh, canned, frozen, dried, whole, cut-up, or pureed. Fruit juices can contain up to 10 teaspoons of sugar per cup; avoid or dilute with water
Milk and other dairy: Choose low-fat dairy products. It is important to choose dairy products that DO NOT contain rBST (bovine growth hormone). Organic dairy is best. If you're lactose-intolerant, choose lactose-free and lower-lactose products, such as hard cheeses and yogurt.
Protein: Vary your healthy eating protein choices with a variety of fish, poultry, eggs, beans, peas, nuts and seeds. Minimize red meats containing high levels of saturated fat.
Oils: We’ve been taught to fear fats and oils, but fresh, high quality fats from olive oil, avocado, raw nuts & seeds, coconut and fish actually provide excellent (and necessary) sources of healthy fatty acids in your diet.
January 8th, 2008 at 2:05 am
I like the way Michael Pollan puts it: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."
It really is that easy. Your girlfriend is right in trying to avoid processed food as much as possible, but not everything you eat has to be organic. Some things are more important than others to buy organic, but most of your groceries can be conventionally grown. Avoid sugar and fried foods.
Real food usually doesn't have a label on it, or if it has a list of ingredients that list should be very short. Eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as you can and keep the meat to a minimum. Meat is one of the more important things to buy organic, if you can.
Find a few good recipes, such as those at http://www.natural-health-guide.com/recipes-for-healthy-food.html, and cook a meal together with your girlfriend. It really can be a lot of fun, is great for your health, and doesn't have to be expensive!