| Eating healthy is an essential component of losing | | | | at 6pm, whether we're hungry or not. Even |
| weight. Fad diets that focus on eating one type of | | | | worse, is that we tend to snack constantly (or |
| food (such as carbohydrates) or totally eliminating | | | | regularly) between meals, so instead of three |
| others (such as fats and sugars) never last | | | | balanced meals, we are more likely to eat 5 or 6 |
| because for your body to remain healthy it | | | | unbalanced ones. |
| requires all of these foods, but in moderation. | | | | How much to eat is just as big a problem as |
| Five simple tips for healthy eating and losing | | | | knowing when to eat. Today everything is |
| weight are: | | | | super-sized, value-sized and pretty much |
| | | | over-sized. Two daily servings of meat are not |
| 1. Knowing what to eat | | | | that much since a serving is only 2 oz. A typical |
| 2. Knowing when to eat | | | | restaurant steak is at least 8oz, which is twice |
| 3. Knowing how much to eat | | | | your daily requirement. The same goes for |
| 4. How to simplify your shopping | | | | virtually all the foods we eat. A serving of salad |
| 5. How to properly prepare what you eat | | | | dressing (from the fat and oil group) is only 1 |
| There is so much information available on what to | | | | tbsp, not the more than 1/4 cup we unknowingly |
| eat that we sometimes get so confused we give | | | | pour on at the salad bar. Understanding portion |
| up before we get started. Knowing what to eat is | | | | control is essential to maintaining a healthy diet. |
| not as difficult as it seems. The key is in the food | | | | Simplifying your shopping may seem at odds with |
| pyramid. The majority of your diet (6 - 10 | | | | the need to eat a wide variety of foods to |
| servings) should be composed of grains (the base | | | | maintain a well balanced diet but it's not. The more |
| of the pyramid). These include whole grain breads, | | | | ingredients you include in a recipe, the more |
| cereals, rice and pasta. Next are fruits and | | | | processed foods and empty calories you add to |
| vegetables that will provide the fiber, vitamins and | | | | your diet. By keeping recipes simple, not only will |
| essential minerals that your body needs. The | | | | your meals taste better, but they will also be |
| closer the fruits and vegetables are to their | | | | packed full of all the nutrients your body needs, |
| natural state, the more nutritious they will be | | | | provided you don't cook it out of them. |
| (processing removes nutrients). Dairy and protein | | | | In addition to choosing healthy foods, how you |
| (milk, cheese, meat) are what is required for | | | | cook them will determine how much nutritional |
| strong bones and muscles. Maximize nutritional | | | | value you eventually get, which is why it is also |
| impact by selecting lean cuts of meat for your 2 | | | | important to know how to properly prepare the |
| -3 daily servings. The top of the pyramid is fats | | | | foods you eat. Although raw carrots are the |
| and oils, meaning they should be consumed | | | | most nutritious, does it matter if you boil or |
| sparingly. High in flavor, but low in nutritional value, | | | | steam them before serving as a side dish? Boiling |
| select unsaturated fats, nuts and vegetable oils. | | | | removes all of the carrots essential vitamins, |
| Knowing when to eat is something we all know, | | | | which eventually get discarded with the water, |
| since it's something our parents told us, eat when | | | | while steaming maintains their color, texture and |
| you're hungry and stop when you're full. | | | | nutritional value. So how you prepare your food is |
| Unfortunately, this is one of the more difficult | | | | just as important as what you are preparing. |
| things to control. Due to busy schedules and | | | | If you keep in mind these five simple tips, you'll |
| existing bad eating habits many of us tend to eat | | | | be on your way to eating healthier and losing |
| by the clock, breakfast at 7, lunch at noon, dinner | | | | weight. |