Healthy Eating
1. Take a positive approach to making healthy changes in your diet and life-style.
Instead of mourning what you're giving up, concentrate on all the benefits
you're getting from your improved diet.
2. You can improve your chances for a long and healthy life by cutting down on
the fat, salt, caffeine, and sugar in your diet. The average American eats 4 times
more fat, 40 times more salt and caffeine, and 100 times more sugar than the
body normally needs.
3. Eating a nutritious breakfast every morning and avoiding snacks between
meals are 2 of the easiest ways to improve your eating habits. A balanced diet is
a varied diet. It's best to eat many kinds of foods in order to ensure that your
body gets all the proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals it needs.
Vitamin and mineral supplements aren't necessary for most people. A well-
balanced diet should provide you with all the vitamins and minerals required
for good health.
4. High-fiber vegetables, fruits, and whole grains are natural intestinal
cleansers and also help to keep down the levels of cholesterol in the blood by
binding up cholesterol and fats. Studies also show that a daily dose of bran in
your breakfast cereal reduces the risk of bowel cancer.
5. Sugar plays a role in the development of tooth decay, obesity, diabetes, and
cardiovascular disease. If you do nothing else to improve your diet, at least cut
down on your intake of sugar
6. Cookies, cakes, and candies made with sugar provide only "empty calories" -
that is, they have little nutritional value. Add natural sugar to your diet by
replacing baked goods and fattening desserts with fresh fruits. When you need a
pick-me-up, try drinking a glass of fruit juice or fresh, cold water instead of a
sweetened soft drink Sugar is sugar, no matter what form it takes.
7. A high-fat diet can be dangerous to your health. When cooking, consider using
polyunsaturated fats such as corn, soybean, and sunflower oil instead of
saturated fats such as lard, butter, chicken fat, coconut oil, or hydrogenated
vegetable oils. Low-fat skim milk contains considerably less fat than whole milk
The same is true of skim milk cheeses, low-fat cottage cheese, and yogurt. When
buying meats, look for the leanest cuts. Trim off any visible fat before cooking,
and whenever possible choose broiling over any other preparation method;
broiling can reduce the fat content of meat by up to one-half.
8. You can improve your whole family's diet by beginning to replace some meat
dishes with fish and poultry. You'll be eating less fat and fewer calories.
Legumes) especially peas and beans) are an excellent source of protein and s
hould be included in your weekly menus. Experiment with meatless meals to cut
down on your fat intake. Meatless spaghetti sauce) chili) and vegetable soup can
taste just as delicious as the meaty versions. Whole-grain bread) pasta) potatoes)
and rice and other grains are good energy foods and sources of protein. Avoid
eating too many preserved meats such as ham) hot dogs) and corned beef.
9. Processed meats contain chemical additives. Don't toss away the darker outer
leaves of your lettuce head. They're higher in nutrients than the leaves found
closer to the core. Scrub vegetables with a vegetable brush to remove any
surface dirt before cooking. Don't remove the skins) because you'll also be
throwing out most of the vitamins and minerals. Cook your vegetables briefly
by steaming them. Overcooked vegetables lose their Vitamin C and mineral
content.
10. If you're often out in the sun} stay away from caffeine drinks such as coffee)
tea} or cola. Caffeine makes your skin more sensitive. Eat smaller meals more
often in summer. Your body will have to work less to digest the foods, and you'll
feel cooler. Use more salt in your foods during the summer months, especially if
you perspire a lot. Heavy perspiration depletes the salt content of your body.
When you're pregnant, follow these tips:
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