Guide to Eating Healthy

Nutrition - People often confuse "dieting" with nutrition. Your body needs to have nutrients replaced, whether through foods being eaten or supplements. Do you remember what you learned in elementary school about the four major food groups? As an adult, eating balanced meals from these groups still applies. It is important to remove the "junk food" from your diet and stick with healthy foods. If you do not like certain things such as fruits or vegetables, be sure you are taking a supplement to get the nutrients needed. Another consideration is if you are a vegetarian: there are certain benefits from meat such as iron and B-12, and you should consider taking a supplement in exchange for the meat.

Eat Less Later in the Day - Everyone knows, whether they want to admit it or not, reducing calories will help you to lose weight. However, just as you should reduce the calorie intake, you need to know when to eat. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and the one meal that should not be missed. Lunch should be healthy but less than what you ate for breakfast. As you approach dinner, eat healthy but light. Avoid after dinner snacks or eating before bed!

Saucy but Healthy - Eating bland foods is boring, unsatisfying, and if that is what your diet consists of, more than likely, you will be off it shortly after you start. If you enjoy good tasting food, some sauces and spices can enhance your food while not adding calories. The next time you grill meat, consider using one of these: reduced salt Soy Sauce, Mustard, Salsa, Worcestershire Sauce, Vinegar (this comes in wonderful flavors), Teriyaki Sauce, Tomato Sauce and Hot Sauce.

Stick with Whole Wheat - Whole wheat is actually better for you. It offers more fiber, which helps reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diverticulosis, and diabetes to name a few. When possible, set aside the white flour and bread and reach for products that are made from oats, barley, buckwheat, bulgur, rye, brown rice, millet, and wheat.

Watch the Sugar - Often people think by drinking fruit juices or eating low-fat fruit roll-ups they are cutting out or eliminating sugar. The fact is that some fruit juices have more sugar than a soda. Reduction of sugar is important to good health; therefore, always check out the sugar content of anything you put in your mouth, even if it appears to be healthy.

Sodium - As a way of reducing blood pressure, which is bad on the heart, reduce the amount of sodium (salt) you intake. You may be thinking of table salt but you should know that many canned vegetables, soups, even soda, are very high in sodium. Look at your labels and try to cut back on processed foods. If you have a craving for salt, switch to natural seasoning and just a little salt.