Do you look and feel healthy? Are you able to move and do the things you like, easily? Is your body receiving nutrition from the food you eat? How do your jeans fit? Do you think your diet should improve?
The honest answers to these questions are as important as your weight.
Whether you want to gain, lose or maintain your weight, remember that the most important thing is nutrition. If you eat healthy foods, your body will look and feel good, have more energy, be better able to handle stress, and prevent disease.
The following will help you make healthy changes that you can live with, so you won’t have to suffer through special diets that don’t work in the long run.
According to Georgia State University research, eating snacks creates a better metabolism. They proved that it gives you more energy, and has you eating less at regular meal times. The article states that “The final result is a higher metabolic rate, a lower caloric intake, and reduced body fat.” So instead of focusing on cutting back, leaving yourself hungry and frustrated, consider adding more. More snacks — of veggies and fruits.
The fact is, you don’t have to watch what you eat if you make sure you watch what you buy. Find healthy foods you enjoy eating so you don’t feel like you’re missing out. If quantity is an issue for you, try using small plates, bowls and cups, take smaller bites, eat slowly and chew your food well. After your meal, clear the food away from the table as soon as possible, so you don’t keep nibbling.
If you don’t care for salads or cooked vegetables by themselves, dice and mix them into whatever you’re making: burritos, casseroles, pasta, stews, sandwiches, scrambled eggs, brown rice, quinoa, etc. Always think of meat as a side dish, not the main course.
When shopping, avoid the candy and potato chip aisles altogether. Don’t look at them, and walk past them quickly. The longer you think about junk food, the more apt you are to buy them. Turn your mind toward something else.
In the summertime, put fruit (bananas, grapes, berries, cherries) in the freezer. They taste like ice cream when they’re eaten frozen. Dried fruit is also a good dessert.
Remember that drinks have calories too. Check the nutrition label for sugar content. Four grams equals one teaspoon of sugar. Rather than artificial sweeteners that your body doesn’t recognize as food, use local, organic honey, which is actually good for you.
Studies have shown there’s a link between drinking sodas and osteoporosis, stroke, heart attack and depression. Instead of them, drink plenty of water. If it will help you drink more, add a little juice to it to give it some flavor. I don’t recommend bottled water. The bottles are terrible for the environment and there’s controversy over the plastic leaching into the water. Put a filter on your tap and refill a stainless steel or glass bottle for travel.
Green tea is better for you than coffee, but if you drink coffee, make sure it’s organic. Coffee beans can have a high amount of pesticides in them.
Diane’s motto: If God created it, it’s probably okay to eat. So don’t shy away from avocados, eggs and nuts. They’re good for you. Stay away from anything in what I like to call the “Twinkie family” — highly processed food and drinks.
Eat and drink what you know is right 90 percent of the time, and don’t worry when you splurge. Guilt is a useless emotion that only weighs us down. While the specific foods we put into our bodies is important, it’s also important to be kind to ourselves.
Learn the emotional component of what drives you to overeat, or eat the wrong foods. Quite often we have feelings of love or happiness associated with food. Once we understand this, we can work toward creating these good feelings without the use of food. This can make a huge difference in our eating habits.
Click here for more tips.
The honest answers to these questions are as important as your weight.
Whether you want to gain, lose or maintain your weight, remember that the most important thing is nutrition. If you eat healthy foods, your body will look and feel good, have more energy, be better able to handle stress, and prevent disease.
The following will help you make healthy changes that you can live with, so you won’t have to suffer through special diets that don’t work in the long run.
According to Georgia State University research, eating snacks creates a better metabolism. They proved that it gives you more energy, and has you eating less at regular meal times. The article states that “The final result is a higher metabolic rate, a lower caloric intake, and reduced body fat.” So instead of focusing on cutting back, leaving yourself hungry and frustrated, consider adding more. More snacks — of veggies and fruits.
The fact is, you don’t have to watch what you eat if you make sure you watch what you buy. Find healthy foods you enjoy eating so you don’t feel like you’re missing out. If quantity is an issue for you, try using small plates, bowls and cups, take smaller bites, eat slowly and chew your food well. After your meal, clear the food away from the table as soon as possible, so you don’t keep nibbling.
If you don’t care for salads or cooked vegetables by themselves, dice and mix them into whatever you’re making: burritos, casseroles, pasta, stews, sandwiches, scrambled eggs, brown rice, quinoa, etc. Always think of meat as a side dish, not the main course.
When shopping, avoid the candy and potato chip aisles altogether. Don’t look at them, and walk past them quickly. The longer you think about junk food, the more apt you are to buy them. Turn your mind toward something else.
In the summertime, put fruit (bananas, grapes, berries, cherries) in the freezer. They taste like ice cream when they’re eaten frozen. Dried fruit is also a good dessert.
Remember that drinks have calories too. Check the nutrition label for sugar content. Four grams equals one teaspoon of sugar. Rather than artificial sweeteners that your body doesn’t recognize as food, use local, organic honey, which is actually good for you.
Studies have shown there’s a link between drinking sodas and osteoporosis, stroke, heart attack and depression. Instead of them, drink plenty of water. If it will help you drink more, add a little juice to it to give it some flavor. I don’t recommend bottled water. The bottles are terrible for the environment and there’s controversy over the plastic leaching into the water. Put a filter on your tap and refill a stainless steel or glass bottle for travel.
Green tea is better for you than coffee, but if you drink coffee, make sure it’s organic. Coffee beans can have a high amount of pesticides in them.
Diane’s motto: If God created it, it’s probably okay to eat. So don’t shy away from avocados, eggs and nuts. They’re good for you. Stay away from anything in what I like to call the “Twinkie family” — highly processed food and drinks.
Eat and drink what you know is right 90 percent of the time, and don’t worry when you splurge. Guilt is a useless emotion that only weighs us down. While the specific foods we put into our bodies is important, it’s also important to be kind to ourselves.
Learn the emotional component of what drives you to overeat, or eat the wrong foods. Quite often we have feelings of love or happiness associated with food. Once we understand this, we can work toward creating these good feelings without the use of food. This can make a huge difference in our eating habits.
Click here for more tips.