Healthy Eating – “The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.” – Thomas A Edison …

10 Tips For Healthy Eating

Healthy Eating Benefits

Many people today are interested in changing their eating habits and decreasing unhealthy foods. Among the many healthy eating facts we know are these: eating healthy can help you to have more energy, lose weight, and decrease heart and blood pressure problems. Who could complain, right?

Listed below are 10 guidelines you might find helpful:

1. One of the best tips you can follow down the road to healthy eating is this: eat many vegetables in varied colors. Vegetables contain many nutrients that protect your heart. A good goal is to try to eat ten different types of vegetables a week. Choose dark green leafy vegetables, orange and red peppers, yellow carrots and sweet potatoes.

2. When you drink milk, choose low fat or non-fat. You need to get your calcium, but this can also come from low fat yogurt, cheese, pudding and low-fat ice cream. Calcium keeps your bones strong, and also helps with blood pressure and losing weight.

3. I’m not one for advising you to give up meat completely. But, when you do eat meat, cut off the visible fat and choose cuts that have a “loin” or “round” in the name. Limit the size of the portion to 3-4 oz. which is about the size of your palm.

4. Make a concerted effort to eat more whole grains every day. Check for whole grains in cereal, crackers, brown rice, and whole wheat pasta. Whole grains add fiber to the diet and have other health benefits as well.

5. Try to limit salt intake on foods you prepare or eat in a restaurant. Too much sodium can add to heart problems and high blood pressure. Check any canned foods you consume for sodium.

6. Use more olive oil in preparing foods consumed at home. Olive oil is much better for you than the cheaper vegetable oils. For a change, try coconut oil. It has a really nice, nutty taste and is very good for you. Also, consider using small amounts of butter. Butter is not as bad for you as we’ve been led to believe … not nearly as bad as margarine … and it adds a great bit of flavor to both meats and vegetables when used for cooking.

7. Eating fish two or three times a week is very heart healthy and also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Fish has been shown to reduce cancer risks, ulcerative colitis, and arthritic conditions. Salmon, white albacore tuna and mackerel are all good choices.

8. Eat a meatless meal at least twice a week. Adding beans or other legumes makes for good protein and their high fiber content is a welcome bonus.

9. Try matching food intake with energy levels. In other words, watch your portions (especially in restaurants) and learn to listen to the body’s signals so eating only when truly hungry becomes a habit. Eating out of habit is a sure way to gain weight. Let your body tell you when it needs fuel.

10. By eating your fruits, such as apples or oranges, instead of consuming the juice, you will keep fiber levels high. Juices can be very high calorie content without the benefits of the fiber. Mixing your fruit juices with about the same amount of water will help control the situation.

Healthy Eating: “Self-Medicating” The Natural Way

After just a bit of practice, eating healthy can become a habit … and a good habit at that. Consuming a healthy diet in a healthy way can allow you to age in a more graceful and happy way. This is the key to actually enjoying being older and having more strength with which to enjoy life. Adding years to your life can be a tremendous value, and all this can be accomplished by making a few healthy food choices in a consistent manner.

If you learned something here and enjoyed these tips, here are 9 more tips about Healthy Eating from HelpGuide.org: Healthy Eating – Easy Tips for Planning a Healthy Diet & Sticking to It