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Get Healthy & Fit
Becoming A Healthy Eater
Being a healthy eater requires you to become both
educated and smart about what healthy eating
actually is. Being food smart isn't about
learning to calculate grams or fat, or is it
about studying labels and counting calories.
Healthy eating is all about balanced and moderate
eating, consisting of healthy meals at least
three times per day. Healthy eaters eat many
different types of foods, not limiting themselves
to one specific food type or food group.
Eating healthy requires quite a bit of leeway. You
might eat too much or not enough, consume
foods that are sometimes more or less nutritious.
However, you should always fuel your body and
your brain regularly with enough food to keep
both your mind and body strong and alert.
A healthy eater is a good problem solver. Healthy
eaters have learned to take care of themselves
and their eating with sound judgement and making
wise decisions. Healthy eaters are always aware
of what they eat, and know the effect that it
will have on their bodies.
When someone is unable to take control of their
eating, they are also likely to get out of control
with other aspects of life as well. They could
end up spending too much, talking too much, even
going to bed later and later.
You should always remember that restricting food
in any way is always a bad thing. Healthy eating
is a way of life, something that you can do to
enhance your body or your lifestyle. If you've
thought about making your life better, healthy
eating is just the place to start. You'll make
life easier for yourself, those around you, and
even your family.
Making Healthy Food Choices
Vegetables, fruits, and grains are normally low in
fat and have no cholesterol. Most are great sources
of dietary fiber, complex carbs, and vitamins.
The American Heart Association recommends that you
eat foods that are high in complex carbs and fiber.
Below are some tips for making healthy food choices:
Coconut is high in saturated fat, while olives
are high in monounsaturated fats and calories. You
should use these items sparingly to avoid getting
too many calories from fat.
When vegetable grains are cooked, saturated fat
or cholesterol is often added. For example, egg
yolks may be added to bread or even pasta.
Processed, canned, or preserved vegetables may
also contain added sodium. With some people, too
much sodium (salt) may lead to high blood pressure.
There are some food companies that are actually
canning vegetables with less salt. You can look
for these in the market area or choose fresh and
even frozen vegetables.
Nuts and seeds tend to be high in calories and
fat, although a majority of the fat is polyunsaturated
or monounsaturated. There are some varieties,
macadamie nuts for example, that are also high in
saturated fat.
Foods that are high in soluble fiber are a great
choice as well. Examples include oat bran,
oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, and
even apple pulp.
Whenever you are looking for healthy food choices,
always make sure you read the nutrition label
or information about the food. You can then
determine what the food contains and how healthy
it truly is for your body. By taking your time
and making your healthy food choices wisely,
you'll have a lifetime to enjoy the foods that
will take care of you.
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