Guidelines For Healthy Eating
Good nutrition is about staying alive longer and being healthier and happier. Most health experts agree that you’re better off with a diet low in fat, saturated fatty acids and cholesterol. High fat diets lead to heart disease, certain types of cancer and obesity. The good news...no mater what shape you’re in now, it’s never too late to guide yourself to good nutrition.Sensible Shortcuts to Better Eating
- Extra weight can give you extra problems, like high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. Strive for a balanced diet and regular exercise. In addition to eating food from the main groups -Grains, Vegetables and fruits, Milk Products, Meat and Alternatives - and eating them in the right proportion, here are some quick ways to improve how you eat.
- Vegetables, fresh fruit, whole grains and lean meats are the natural answer to calorie questions.
- When dining out, don’t eat everything on your plate if the portions are over-sized. Take the leftovers home.
- Don’t skip meals. This just sets you up for overeating later.
- Remove skin from poultry. Trim excess fat from all the meat.
- Don’t be obsessed with the scale. Don’t weigh yourself more than once a week. Measure your success in other ways - how your clothes fit, how you look and feel.
- Herbs add taste without adding calories, chemicals and cholesterol.
- Practice eating slowly. Take a break between courses. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that you are full.
- Use moderation. Especially at parties and other tempting occasions, taste any rich food you want, but only take a bite.
Lower-fat dairy products, leaner meats, food prepared with little or no fat
Choose a diet in low fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Fried foods, fatty meats, rich dairy products, pastries and added fats, such as butter and mayonnaise may taste good, but they will send your blood cholesterol level soaring which will greatly increase your risk of heart disease.Limit salt, alcohol and caffeine
Use salt and sodium in moderation. Leave the salt shaker in the kitchen. Read food labels carefully. Regulate your sodium intake and you’ll reduce the risk of high blood pressure.Alcohol in moderation is in keeping with a healthy approach to living. A moderate intake of alcohol is defined as no more than two drinks per day. The following are classified as one drink: 1 bottle beer (12 oz); 1.5 bottles light beer; 1 bottle cooler (12 oz.); 5 oz wine or 1.5 oz. Liquor.
Because caffeine is a stimulant, people in general good health should try to consume no more than the equivalent of 4 cups of coffee per day, or 400-450 mg of caffeine per day.