Eat Healthy...

It's Not As Hard As You Might Think

Raise your hand if you wish you had a nutritionist who would tell you how to eat healthy with exactly what to eat and when to eat it. It seems that would make life so much easier, doesn’t it?

Because we really are what we eat, we should take great care with what we put into our mouths.

The next promo from the food industry is anybody’s guess, rushing to make a buck at the expense of our health. Who knows, maybe we’ll see “high-fiber butter” and “sugar-free hamburgers!”

What advertisers and the marketing gurus want you to believe is that the product is healthy for you—conveniently leaving out the not-so-healthy ingredients found in the small print somewhere on the label.

The rest of the story is…

If ice-cream is fat-free, it may still be loaded with calories from sugar.

Peanut butter has “zero cholesterol and no trans fats” because it’s derived from a plant (peanut), but there are 90 calories per tablespoon with the majority (80 percent) coming from fat.

And the stories go on and on. So, it’s important not to believe everything you read when it comes to food and their labels.

There is no doubt that advertising and marketing can mislead and confuse us according to Dr. Wansink, in his book “Mindless Eating, Why We Eat More Than We Think.” His advice is to read labels and know calorie counts, and understand that we see and hear powerful influencers who can distort our perception and ultimately our buying behavior.

3 Basic Tips to Help You Eat Healthy

2) Combine protein (meat, fish, beans, nuts, eggs, dairy) and fiber (whole grains, fruits, vegetables) at every meal, unless you have digestive problems. When eaten together, these foods take longer to digest than simpler carbohydrates, so you stay fuller, longer.

3) Get up, move around, and drink water often. This daily meal plan has a wide range of calories (from about 1,550 to 2,100); if you’re active (and particularly if you’re a male), you can go toward the higher end of the range. Adjust accordingly for children. (Use this calorie counter to see how many you need based on your age, weight, and activity level).

Meal Planning Helps You Eat Healthy

Since there’s no question that you are what you eat, meal planning will help keep you on track for optimal health.

Meal planning also saves money! By coordinating your preplanned meals with your grocery list, you're more likely to stick to your list and benefit from cooking on a budget.

One of the most important activities you can do as a family is to "eat together." Sounds simple enough; but I know it's a huge challenge in today's world. If you can even schedule one meal a day—together as a family or house-hold, the benefits are far-reaching.

Learn more about The Power of Family Meals.

To help you eat healthy every day...

Don’t Skip Breakfast! You actually start your metabolism with your first bite of food.

My favorite breakfast is oatmeal, sweetened with a tablespoon of maple syrup and a tablespoon of lite whip topping—yum.

Your body digests the fiber slowly, so you’ll stay full for a couple of hours. Add a glass of fat-free milk, yogurt, or a hard-boiled egg. Or add some nuts (almonds or walnuts) into your oats. Fruit, or a small glass of OJ, is always good, unless you have digestive issues.

Tip: Whatever you do, don’t just sip coffee or drink diet soda all morning and wait to eat until lunch. You’ll be so hungry you won’t make healthy choices.

Drink water—lots of it!

You know you’re supposed to have multiple glasses a day. But it’s better to sip a little water all day long instead of gulping a huge glass when you suddenly feel parched. As a guide, if your tongue feels dry to the touch or your pee is bright yellow, you’re dehydrated—drink water. (Caffeinated or sugar-filled liquids don’t count for more reasons than one.)

Get up, stretch, and take a leisurely walk every hour to hour-and-a-half, if possible. This simple activity really can take your mind off of food and aid in your goal to eat healthy.

Eat every 3 to 4 hours to keep energy up and avoid big mealtime binges.

For fiber and protein, try an apple with string cheese or a handful of nuts (especially if you didn’t have them at breakfast).

Tip: Sit whenever you eat. Take small bites and try to drag out your snack for as long as possible (ideally 10 to 15 minutes). Research has proven that the more chewing you do, the more nutrients your body absorbs—and the less you eat.

Don’t drown your salad in dressing! Forget about a low-cal, healthy salad if you pour on salad dressing.

I measure, or eyeball, about 2 tablespoons of salad dressing and pour it on my salad plate, not on the salad, but to the side of it. Then I simply dip my fork prongs in the dressing before each bite—of salad, of course.

You want some fat in your salad because studies show it helps your body digest fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K. Wash your meal down with water.

Get creative with different veggies every day. If you have trouble getting your kids to eat veggies, check out this website that features creative veggie ideas at www.loveyourveggies.com.

It challenges you to get veggies from a farm to a plate, avoiding pot holes and spraying pests along the way. Who knows? Maybe your child will try broccoli.

Tip: If you want, have a slice of whole grain bread on the side. This can help you survive until your afternoon snack.

For a great snack between lunch and dinner, try a 6-ounce yogurt (the natural milk sugars help with sweet cravings) and a handful of high-fiber cereal. My favorite brand is Yoplait Light—8 ounces of yummy flavors to choose from. Almonds make a great healthy, satisfying snack and of course, fruit.

Tip: Let your appetite be your guide here—you probably won’t need the same type of snack every day. If you had a big lunch, you may only need a small nibble. If you plan to go to the gym after work, you may want to eat more or save some of your snack until closer to your workout (an hour or so beforehand).

Be sure to squeeze in some exercise. (Put it in your planner if needed…) Studies have proven that even as little as 10 minute bouts of brisk walking throughout the day provide great benefits.

Dinner time!

To help you eat healthy at dinner, start this meal off with soup. This will help you end up eating less overall.

For the main meal, have 3 or 4 ounces (or the size of your palm) of protein. Grilled chicken or fish is always a good choice. Add cooked vegetables, along with brown rice or baked potato.

If you feel like you need a bed-time snack, be sure it’s not just empty calories. A few options: A tablespoon of chocolate drizzled over 1/2 cup of berries, apple slices with honey, or celery with some peanut butter.

Interestingly enough, getting adequate sleep plays a big part in your eating habits. Try to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night; less than that, and you up your risk for a list of health problems, including weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, and more, not to mention the odds that you’ll feel more tired, frazzled, and likely to overeat the next day.

And The Very Best Foods Are...

Tip: There are many constipation remedies available. The best I have found is Dr. Miller’s Holy Tea. I've used this product for several years and have found it to be very effective. Learn more at the Whole Wellness Club.

(Click on Products, Secure Online Order, and scroll down to Holy Tea.)

I think we can all agree that the best advice around may be to simply buy lots of those fresh, wholesome, raw foods without labels, foods our ancestors would recognize as… food! Oats, wheat, and beans; broccoli, carrots, and potatoes; apples, spinach, and squash.

You just can’t go wrong with real food in helping you eat healthy.

Vitamins-and-Health-facts.com - One size doesn't fit all. Learn the facts about vitamins and supplements, because we rarely get all that we need from the foods we eat, no matter how heatlhy they are.

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