A Healthy Lifestyle
There are several diets that all lead to successful weight loss if you follow them exactly as they are designed. That doesn't mean every food that fits into a diet is healthy, and it does mean you have to change your eating patterns to fit the diet's rules. We feel like failures because we lose weight and then return to our old eating patterns. The weight we worked so hard to lose comes back and we return to a diet. We lose the weight once more, and go up and down and up and down. We become slaves to the diets.
Rather than worry about the mirror and the scale, let's think about our lifestyle and our health. Being healthy doesn't mean you have to be a size 4 or a size 2. It means feeling good physically and emotionally. It means having energy and enjoying every day. It isn't difficult to lead a healthy lifestyle, feel great, and still have room for the occasional treat. Let me show you how.
Good Foods To EatThe closer a food is to its natural state, the better it is for you. Fresh fruits and berries are great and will satisfy a craving for sweets. Whole vegetables have lots of vitamins and minerals, so choose more green, orange and yellow vegetables. Steam them to retain the most nutritional value and be careful with sauces, they may be high in calories and fats that aren't good for you.
Any pasta or baked goods should be made from whole grains. Avoid white breads and noodles because they are made from flour that has had much of the nutritional content removed and the high starch content in white bread will affect your blood sugar as quickly as regular sugar. Avoid sugary snacks and pastries as well. An apple is good for you, an apple pie really isn't.
Shop for lean meats and don't forget the fish. The omega 3 oils in ocean fish are often deficient in our diets, so serve seafood 2 or 3 times per week. Baked fish and chicken are healthier than fried, and lean meats like bison or venison are healthier than higher fat beef. Processed lunch meats, hot dogs, bacon, and sausages have a lot of junk in them you don't want in your body, but if you love these meats, find healthier versions sold at health food stores.
Remember to eat a variety of foods because some people become sensitive to foods they eat frequently. Try different grains, such as spelt, as a substitute for wheat and try rice milk or almond milk in place of cow's milk. Eat new foods you think you may not like...it can be a lot of fun.
Stick to water as your main beverage, and avoid sodas (both sugary and diet). If you get tired of plain water, add a slice of lemon or lime to add a touch of flavor. For kids, try some fruit juice jazzed up with carbonated water. Some herbal and green teas may add great benefits to your health, but avoid too much caffeine.
Assess Your Lifestyle
Once you learn which foods are good for you, you need to look at your eating habits. If the foods you eat are not healthy, you might want to work within your habits and current lifestyle conditions, since they are usually tough to change. Consider these questions, then read on for tips to help you add healthy foods:
Do you eat because you are bored, sad, or happy?
Do you snack in front of the TV without even giving it much thought?
Are most of your meals eaten at home or in restaurants?
How often do you eat fast food?
Do you like to cook?
How often do you grocery shop?
Do you skip breakfast or lunch, then overeat later in the day?
How big are the portions you consume?
Do you crave sweets?
Are there foods you won't give up?
Solutions For Snackers
If you are an emotional eater, keep the junk food like potato chips, tortilla chips, ice cream, and candy out of the house. Keep healthy snacks like fruits, crunchy vegetables with dips, or nuts handy. If you absolutely feel the need for a treat, then purchase a small piece of high quality chocolate or your favorite treat and enjoy it, just don't buy any to bring home.
The same tips are helpful for those who enjoy TV snacking at home. If you don't want to give up nibbling while while watching your shows, keep low calorie foods close by, because it is very easy to eat too much when you are entranced by your favorite drama, football game, or cooking show.
Tips For Eating Out
It is difficult to maintain good health if you eat out a lot. Those salads might not be as appealing as a greasy cheeseburger and fries. Restaurants frequently serve huge portions of food too, much more than you need. If you can't hold your resolve to stick to the salads, compromise; pick out an appetizer that you love, combine it with a salad or a cup of soup, and skip the larger entrees. You can also share a meal or take half of it home. Dying for desert? Order as small a size as possible, or maybe just one scoop of ice cream, rather than a larger, heavier desert. Try a dish of mixed berries topped with nuts and a small bit of whipped cream. Be careful with the after-dinner drinks as well. Maybe just one glass of wine with your meal. If you eat a lot of fast food, you have found out how difficult it is to feel good and stayhealthy.Some places have added salads and some better choices, but it really isn't a good way to eat. Keep fast food dining to a minimum, don't go with the super sizes, and choose places that offer more fresh ingredients.
Eating At Home
If you hate to cook, all that fresh produce you bought may just rot in your refrigerator. Depending on your budget, you might prefer to purchase prepared foods from markets that specialize in healthy, whole foods, or even hire a personal chef to prepare meals that only need to be heated and served. If you have a tighter budget, perhaps you can set aside some time on weekends to prepare meals and freeze them to be reheated later that week.
It is important to be prepared if you are going to eat good foods at home and not run out for fast food after work. Unfortunately grocery shopping can be very tedious. Set aside enough time to do your shopping for a few days' worth of healthy food and ingredients. Make a list and stick to it. Don't go shopping when you are hungry, and once you are at the store, stay away from the junk and the processed food aisles. Buy lots of fresh produce and choose lean meats and fish. Stay away from processed meats, fake cheese products and avoid the snack aisle. Better yet, shop for organic products whenever possible. If you have no choice but to shop infrequently, choose frozen fruits and vegetables over canned, as they retain more of their nutrients.
Don't Skip Meals
If you skip breakfast, you may find that you lose energy by midmorning. Rather than skipping breakfast completely, split it in half. Eat a small breakfast early, such as an egg, small serving of oatmeal, or some yogurt. Have a small snack on hand such as raisins and 10 or 12 almonds to eat at midmorning. This split breakfast is a much better solution than reaching for coffee or candy bars to perk yourself up.
Control Portion Size
Our stomachs really aren't that large. Without stretching, the stomach will hold about 2 cups of food, but because the stomach will stretch, it can hold considerably more food than we need at any given meal.
When you eat at home, serve your meals already dished up on individual plates rather than family style at the table. You will be less likely to reach for "seconds" that way. At restaurants, ask for "take home" containers and take half of your meal home. Avoid buffets, unless you are very disciplined. It is way too tempting to load up 3 or 4 plates plus dessert!
Tame Your Sweet Tooth
Curb your cravings for sweets with fruits and stay away from sugary snacks and pastries. These treats have lots of calories, are loaded with unhealthy fats, plus some people seem to become addicted to these high carb foods. If the fruits and berries aren't sweet enough for you, add just a bit of Splenda, or stevia, but try to wean yourself off of these products. Your taste buds can learn to love fresh fruit without the added sweeteners. Avoid sodas and try iced herbal teas, or ice water with lemon or lime. If you miss the carbonation, add some fruit juice to carbonated water, as I mentioned earlier.
Things You Won't Give Up
Do you feel like you can't live without your chocolate, or your mornings just can't begin without a cup of coffee? If there are foods you won't give up, enjoy them in smaller amounts. Buy one tiny high quality piece of candy and enjoy it, but don't buy a bag full of snacks to take with you. Love your coffee? Stick with just one regular sized cup, instead of a giant 20 ounce cup. You can also switch to decaffeinated coffee, or at drink a blend of half regular coffee and half decaffeinated coffee. Limit other treats or favorite foods that aren't healthy, try to limit them to one time per week, or search for healthier versions at natural foods markets.
Rome Wasn't Built In A Day
If you can't transform your unhealthy diet over night, don't despair. Most people can't. Start implementing some of these ideas, even just one at a time. Every change you make will be one step in the right direction.
Keeping It Simple
Poor Eating
Battered and deep fried foods.
Sugary treats.
Processed meats.
Greasy snack foods.
White bread and refined pasta.
Good Eating
Green and brightly colored vegetables.
Fresh fruits.
Lean meats and fish.
Nuts, raisins, and healthy snacks.
Whole grain breads and pasta.
Cook with healthy oils like canola and olive oils.
Great Eating
Raw or lightly steamed vegetables with no heavy sauces.
Organic fruits and vegetables.
Organic, grass fed beef, bison, and poultry.
Cold water oily ocean fish.
Variety of foods including fruits, vegetables and different types of whole grains.
Add even more healthy oils like walnut or flax seed oils.
Get more of your proteins from plant sources like nuts, seeds, and legumes.
By Health Fitness InfoCentre
