Here we are right after the Christmas holiday and before New Years. The time when most are having the end of the holiday cookies, cakes and pies with anticipation of making that New Year’s resolution. You have been down this road before and enter January with intentions of eating better and maybe exercising, but for some reason in the past you have not been able to stick with it. Why? Everyone may have a different excuse, but usually it is because you are not ready for the change you need to make.
In our society now, it is apparent that it is comfortable to be overweight and obese. With an average of almost 1 in 3 Americans considered overweight or obese, the numbers do not lie. It usually takes a medical scare such as a diagnosis of high blood pressure, the onset of diabetes, high cholesterol or even worse such as a heart attack for people to wake up and realize that your health and well-being is so much more important than the taste of the comforting foods you are consuming. The human body is not meant to carry an extra 40-50 plus pounds. If you are one of those that is carrying the extra weight, you know how you feel when you are moving. It is harder and your joints are probably telling you so. Even if you are carrying an extra 10-30 pounds from your normal weight, you feel it and you want to get back.
So, how do you ready yourself for change? That is something that you have to search for within and answer for yourself. What value do you have on your health? Do you have children and grandchildren to be healthy and strong for? What about feeling healthy and good just for you? You have to feel you are worth the change and hard work it takes to get there. I wrote an entry entitled, Weight Loss Strategies on August 31, 2009. I provide 5 tips to get and stay on course. If you have put on some pounds over the years, realize that it is not going to come off in a few months. You have to be patient, take your time and understand that an average of losing 2 pounds per week is normal. You may fall off the wagon a few times, but you have to pick yourself up and get back on. There are too many health issues and even deaths that could and can be prevented the natural way by changing the foods consumed and exercise. It starts with first making a decision for change and then sticking to it. Let’s get to it in 2010! Are you ready?
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
A Quality Diet
If you want to improve your overall health, one of the simplest, quickest, and most effective changes you can make is to improve the quality of your diet.
Eating a healthful diet can help you feel energetic, lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, and boost your immune functioning — these effects are almost immediate. Other long-term benefits include reducing your risk of certain cancers, avoiding obesity, and reducing your risk of diabetes.
The Basics of a Quality Diet
Improving the quality of your diet isn’t complicated. Take the needed steps to incorporate the following strategies. Of course, the sooner you start, the healthier you’ll feel, but you can go at your own pace:
Learn the basic principles of good nutrition. You should focus on consuming a diet that is based on whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. It is also important to include some low-fat dairy products, fish, lean meats (free of hormones and steroids), and healthful oils into your diet. Limit the amount of less-than-healthful foods you consume. Try to keep foods that don't fall into any these categories, such as processed snack foods and sweets, to a minimum or eliminate altogether.
Load up on fruits and vegetables. Include fruits and vegetables with every meal — yes, even breakfast. 100% fruit juice tends to be higher in calories than whole fruit, so you should limit juice drinking to eight ounces per day.
Make gradual changes. You don't have to overhaul your diet all at once. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, taking small, gradual steps over time to improve your diet and lifestyle can do wonders for your overall health.
Focus on variety. You should get a good mix of foods from the basic food groups — grains, vegetables, fruits, oils, milk, and meat (free of hormones and steroids) and beans.
Eat the right number of servings for you. You can personalize the number of servings you need from each food group according to your age, gender, weight, height, and physical activity level with the USDA's MyPyramid Plan, www.mypyramid.gov. This is an easy way to find out how much of each food group you should eat daily.
Think moderation. It is not necessary to deprive yourself of the foods you love, even if they aren't the most healthful. Instead, just limit foods that contain more added sugars and solid fats, and make sure the majority of the foods you eat are the healthful ones.
Eliminate processed foods. I suggest that you try to eliminate the intake of processed foods, and instead focus on consuming more whole foods. For example, almonds and an apple would be a better snack choice than a breakfast bar, which while rich in fortified nutrients also contains a lot of preservatives and often less fiber.
Minimize white foods. You should eat fewer white foods— white bread, pasta, and rice. Instead select more whole-grain foods — whole wheat breads, pasta and brown rice, which are naturally more complete in nutrients and contain more fiber.
The general concepts of healthful eating are the same for everyone: Aim to consume a good mix of foods from each of the different food groups. You’ll feel great today and for many tomorrows to come.
Eating a healthful diet can help you feel energetic, lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, and boost your immune functioning — these effects are almost immediate. Other long-term benefits include reducing your risk of certain cancers, avoiding obesity, and reducing your risk of diabetes.
The Basics of a Quality Diet
Improving the quality of your diet isn’t complicated. Take the needed steps to incorporate the following strategies. Of course, the sooner you start, the healthier you’ll feel, but you can go at your own pace:
Learn the basic principles of good nutrition. You should focus on consuming a diet that is based on whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. It is also important to include some low-fat dairy products, fish, lean meats (free of hormones and steroids), and healthful oils into your diet. Limit the amount of less-than-healthful foods you consume. Try to keep foods that don't fall into any these categories, such as processed snack foods and sweets, to a minimum or eliminate altogether.
Load up on fruits and vegetables. Include fruits and vegetables with every meal — yes, even breakfast. 100% fruit juice tends to be higher in calories than whole fruit, so you should limit juice drinking to eight ounces per day.
Make gradual changes. You don't have to overhaul your diet all at once. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, taking small, gradual steps over time to improve your diet and lifestyle can do wonders for your overall health.
Focus on variety. You should get a good mix of foods from the basic food groups — grains, vegetables, fruits, oils, milk, and meat (free of hormones and steroids) and beans.
Eat the right number of servings for you. You can personalize the number of servings you need from each food group according to your age, gender, weight, height, and physical activity level with the USDA's MyPyramid Plan, www.mypyramid.gov. This is an easy way to find out how much of each food group you should eat daily.
Think moderation. It is not necessary to deprive yourself of the foods you love, even if they aren't the most healthful. Instead, just limit foods that contain more added sugars and solid fats, and make sure the majority of the foods you eat are the healthful ones.
Eliminate processed foods. I suggest that you try to eliminate the intake of processed foods, and instead focus on consuming more whole foods. For example, almonds and an apple would be a better snack choice than a breakfast bar, which while rich in fortified nutrients also contains a lot of preservatives and often less fiber.
Minimize white foods. You should eat fewer white foods— white bread, pasta, and rice. Instead select more whole-grain foods — whole wheat breads, pasta and brown rice, which are naturally more complete in nutrients and contain more fiber.
The general concepts of healthful eating are the same for everyone: Aim to consume a good mix of foods from each of the different food groups. You’ll feel great today and for many tomorrows to come.
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