The ABC's of Healthy Eating
Jun 22 '00
I have been interested in health issues all of my life,
especially issues regarding eating better and living
healthier. Below are some facts and tips about general
nutrition and eating right.
Most of us have been on fad diets that promise rapid
weight loss. The weight can be lost but it just returns
as soon as you start eating regularly again. It is so
upsetting to have worked so hard and then watch the
pounds ease back on. There has to be a better way to
lose the weight in a healthy way and keep it off!
A reminder that it takes a long time to lose the weight
that took years to put on. It does take a lot of hard
work to learn the proper ways to be healthy and maintain
a weight maintenance lifestyle. Yet the foods we love
CAN be enjoyed while maintaining a healthy weight.
The Nutrition Basics
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A balanced diet consists of the following from the USDA
food pyramid:
6-11 servings - bread, cereal, rice, pasta
3-5 servings - vegetables
2-4 servings - fruits
2-3 servings - proteins
2-3 servings - milk, yogurt, cheese
fats, oils, sugars - use sparingly
Of course the above is only healthy if you use portion
control make healthy choices, such as low fat milk instead
of whole. In addition to these food choices, watch your
sodium and sugar intakes, drink at least 8 glasses of
water a day, and exercise a minimum of 30 minutes, 3-4
times a week.
Healthy daily calorie intake differs for everyone.
Obviously, a 200 pound man will eat more than a 120
pound woman. People who exercise will need more
calories than those who do not. Teenagers and children
need additional calories as they grow.
Some other important health tips are
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- set your own goals. Work with what is right for you. It
would be difficult to go from eating 2000 calories a day
to 1000.
- it's ok to 'mess up' sometimes. Just hop back on your
healthy eating plan and continue on. No one is perfect.
- work on fitting exercise into your daily life. If you
don't have the time each day for formal exercise, do
what you can to burn those extra calories. Things such
as taking a 10 minute break at work and walking the
building, doing stretching or sit ups during the
few minutes you have here and there, parking farther
from the store so you have to walk, and so on.
- write down what you are eating. It really helps you
see what is being consumed each day. It is often
very surprising how small snacks add up.
- enjoy those desserts or treats once in a while. The
calories can easily be made up throughout the day or
you can increase your exercise.
- become familiar with typical serving sizes. The
average meat serving is 3 ounces. The normal portion
that a resteraunt gives you is usually 3 times that
size.
Learn how to make healthy choices at resteraunts.
Ask for the fish to be grilled in lemon instead of
butter, ask for a lunch portion instead of dinner,
box up half of your meal before you even start
eating, ask for fat free salad dressing, etc.
Cooking with less fat is so much easier than people
think. I rarely use oil at all in any of my baking
or cooking. There are so many great alternatives.
Some low fat/calorie items you can use to cook with
are: capers, anchovies, broths, juices, soy sauce,
salsa, spices, tomato paste, vinegars, mustards,
apple sauce, etc.
Lastly, just because a food is 'healthy' does not
mean it is calorie free or you can splurge without
gaining weight. An example would be 1 cup of green
grapes. That serving is 90 calories. I can eat a lot
more than 1 small cup and before you know it I
am up to 300 calories from a fruit snack! Another
example would be a potato. They are about 225 calories
and that is not including any toppings.
Overall, I believe the biggest health issue is
education. If you research and find what is best
for your body, you can be successful at maintaining
a healthy body.
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Member: Becky Mattson
Location: Texas
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Just a girl from Texas who loves to write and read Epinions!
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