More Fruits and Vegetables
Experts recommend a minimum of five servings of fruits or vegetables a day, but eight to 10 is more like it. How?
- Start small and work your way up. Just add one more daily serving than you'd usually have. When that begins to feel normal, add another.
- Top your morning cereal with slices of banana, apple, or berries.
- Substitute a piece of fruit or a can of vegetable juice for your afternoon coffee.
- Eat more spinach, which is very nutritious and easy to make. Prewashed baby spinach is tasty raw in sandwiches and salads, or warm in soups and pasta or as a separate side dish.
- Buy and serve produce in a variety of colors and plan colorful meals to get lots of different vitamins and minerals in your diet. For example, serve fresh veggies such as cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, carrots, and green beans as a side with a low-fat dip or hummus. During the growing season, browse through a local farmers' market to find as many different colored items as you can, and don't be afraid to try something new.
- Try frozen produce. Many people struggle to eat all their fresh produce before it goes bad. If you're wasting money this way, consider buying frozen produce. It's already cut up and ready to cook, and it stays good for much longer than fresh produce.
Less Meat (especially red)
Meat is an important source of protein, but most health experts agree that we eat too much in the U.S. How can you cut down?
- Save steak for special occasions, and order the 8-ounce fillet instead of the 16-ounce T-bone. Start your meal by eating a salad and your veggie sides first. That way, you save the steak for last and you won't feel deprived and hungry when you finish the smaller portion. Consider buying grass-fed meat, which research shows to be healthier than conventional grain-fed meat.
- At home, prepare smaller portions of meat. Choose lean cuts and trim away all excess fat. A typical serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards.
- Substitute fish for red meat. The fat in a fish like salmon, for example, is unsaturated fat -- the good kind that helps your body absorb vitamins and minerals. The fat in pork or beef is saturated fat -- the bad kind that raises cholesterol levels.
- When choosing cold cuts, go for chicken, turkey, or lean roast beef instead of salami or bologna.
More Whole Grains
Whole grains are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients. Adults should have between six and nine servings of whole grains a day, depending on your activity level. But what's "whole" grain, and how do you get more?
- Read labels and look for "whole" in the ingredients. You're looking specifically for breads, cereals, and flour that have a whole grain listed first in the ingredient list.
- Substitute whole-grain flour when baking. It works in almost all recipes.
- Use whole-grain breads for toast and sandwiches. Avoid any bread that is all white or yellow with no texture variation.
- Snack on whole-grain crackers instead of the bleached white alternatives.
- Use brown rice instead of white and whole-wheat pasta instead of regular when making side dishes or adding to soups.
- Try to have oatmeal made from whole oats at least once a week for breakfast. Avoid the instant packages, which often have less fiber than regular oats and lots of added sugar.
Less Saturated Fat, Salt, Sugar, and Alcohol
Sugar, salt, alcohol, and saturated fats are all delicious, but it's important to consume them sparingly because they can harm your health in large amounts.
- Eat low-fat dairy products. Dairy is one food group that maintains all of its nutritional properties even in low- or no-fat versions.
- When eating out, pay attention to how menu items are prepared. Braised, baked, grilled, broiled, or poached are good indications that the item is prepared in a healthy way.
- When cooking, avoid margarine and shortening, which are bad fats. Instead, use vegetable, olive, or canola oil.
- Opt for low-sodium options when buying canned produce, soups, or ordering food in restaurants. Many prepared and processed foods have very high amounts of sodium in them, which can be dangerous, especially for those at risk of developing heart or kidney disease.
- Cut down on sugar by adding water to your juice. Start by just filling your glass 3/4; full with juice and then filling it up the rest of the way with water or soda water. Over time, continue decreasing the amount of juice and increasing the amount of water. Eventually, you'll find that 1/4 juice and 3/4 water tastes great.
- Try to eliminate soda from your diet altogether. Even diet soft drinks have been shown to increase appetite. Instead, drink milk or just water with your meals.
- Pack healthy snacks instead of taking a trip to the vending machine. Bring grapes to munch on during the day, or keep a low-fat granola bar in your desk drawer. (This will help you cut down on sugar and fat, and it will save you money.)
- Allow yourself small portions of your favorite treats on an occasional basis -- for example, an ounce of chocolate after dinner. This will help you feel satisfied without going overboard.
- Limit yourself to one glass of wine or one beer a day, two on special occasions.
More water
Having enough water in your system keeps it working correctly. Dehydration can cause any number of health and digestive problems, and it also slows your metabolism.
- Keep a reusable water bottle with you whenever possible. Keep sipping and refilling throughout the day. It's best to consume most of your water apart from meals. (Too much water at mealtime can flush
nutrients out of your body instead of allowing them to absorb.)
- If you don't like plain water, add lemon or lime to flavor it a little.
- Don't wait until you feel thirsty. When you feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrated.
Experts recommend a minimum of five servings of fruits or vegetables a day, but eight to 10 is more like it. How?
- Start small and work your way up. Just add one more daily serving than you'd usually have. When that begins to feel normal, add another.
- Top your morning cereal with slices of banana, apple, or berries.
- Substitute a piece of fruit or a can of vegetable juice for your afternoon coffee.
- Eat more spinach, which is very nutritious and easy to make. Prewashed baby spinach is tasty raw in sandwiches and salads, or warm in soups and pasta or as a separate side dish.
- Buy and serve produce in a variety of colors and plan colorful meals to get lots of different vitamins and minerals in your diet. For example, serve fresh veggies such as cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, carrots, and green beans as a side with a low-fat dip or hummus. During the growing season, browse through a local farmers' market to find as many different colored items as you can, and don't be afraid to try something new.
- Try frozen produce. Many people struggle to eat all their fresh produce before it goes bad. If you're wasting money this way, consider buying frozen produce. It's already cut up and ready to cook, and it stays good for much longer than fresh produce.
Less Meat (especially red)
Meat is an important source of protein, but most health experts agree that we eat too much in the U.S. How can you cut down?
- Save steak for special occasions, and order the 8-ounce fillet instead of the 16-ounce T-bone. Start your meal by eating a salad and your veggie sides first. That way, you save the steak for last and you won't feel deprived and hungry when you finish the smaller portion. Consider buying grass-fed meat, which research shows to be healthier than conventional grain-fed meat.
- At home, prepare smaller portions of meat. Choose lean cuts and trim away all excess fat. A typical serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards.
- Substitute fish for red meat. The fat in a fish like salmon, for example, is unsaturated fat -- the good kind that helps your body absorb vitamins and minerals. The fat in pork or beef is saturated fat -- the bad kind that raises cholesterol levels.
- When choosing cold cuts, go for chicken, turkey, or lean roast beef instead of salami or bologna.
More Whole Grains
Whole grains are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients. Adults should have between six and nine servings of whole grains a day, depending on your activity level. But what's "whole" grain, and how do you get more?
- Read labels and look for "whole" in the ingredients. You're looking specifically for breads, cereals, and flour that have a whole grain listed first in the ingredient list.
- Substitute whole-grain flour when baking. It works in almost all recipes.
- Use whole-grain breads for toast and sandwiches. Avoid any bread that is all white or yellow with no texture variation.
- Snack on whole-grain crackers instead of the bleached white alternatives.
- Use brown rice instead of white and whole-wheat pasta instead of regular when making side dishes or adding to soups.
- Try to have oatmeal made from whole oats at least once a week for breakfast. Avoid the instant packages, which often have less fiber than regular oats and lots of added sugar.
Less Saturated Fat, Salt, Sugar, and Alcohol
Sugar, salt, alcohol, and saturated fats are all delicious, but it's important to consume them sparingly because they can harm your health in large amounts.
- Eat low-fat dairy products. Dairy is one food group that maintains all of its nutritional properties even in low- or no-fat versions.
- When eating out, pay attention to how menu items are prepared. Braised, baked, grilled, broiled, or poached are good indications that the item is prepared in a healthy way.
- When cooking, avoid margarine and shortening, which are bad fats. Instead, use vegetable, olive, or canola oil.
- Opt for low-sodium options when buying canned produce, soups, or ordering food in restaurants. Many prepared and processed foods have very high amounts of sodium in them, which can be dangerous, especially for those at risk of developing heart or kidney disease.
- Cut down on sugar by adding water to your juice. Start by just filling your glass 3/4; full with juice and then filling it up the rest of the way with water or soda water. Over time, continue decreasing the amount of juice and increasing the amount of water. Eventually, you'll find that 1/4 juice and 3/4 water tastes great.
- Try to eliminate soda from your diet altogether. Even diet soft drinks have been shown to increase appetite. Instead, drink milk or just water with your meals.
- Pack healthy snacks instead of taking a trip to the vending machine. Bring grapes to munch on during the day, or keep a low-fat granola bar in your desk drawer. (This will help you cut down on sugar and fat, and it will save you money.)
- Allow yourself small portions of your favorite treats on an occasional basis -- for example, an ounce of chocolate after dinner. This will help you feel satisfied without going overboard.
- Limit yourself to one glass of wine or one beer a day, two on special occasions.
More water
Having enough water in your system keeps it working correctly. Dehydration can cause any number of health and digestive problems, and it also slows your metabolism.
- Keep a reusable water bottle with you whenever possible. Keep sipping and refilling throughout the day. It's best to consume most of your water apart from meals. (Too much water at mealtime can flush
nutrients out of your body instead of allowing them to absorb.)
- If you don't like plain water, add lemon or lime to flavor it a little.
- Don't wait until you feel thirsty. When you feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrated.
Christine Thomson is a Registered Dietitian/LifeTransformation
Coach who has a mission to guide each person to their body's full
wellness potential through a highly-intuitive and unique balance of
physical & emotional health. She has developed an effective program,
The Compassionate Transformation™ Program©, to show her clients the
simple changes necessary to powerfully create a healthy & whole life
as they heal their relationship with food. You can learn more about
Christine and all of her products & services at http://www.CompassionateNutritionist.com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Thomson
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