Making healthy food choices
Cut back on added sugars to lower your total calorie intake and help control your weight. These foods also tend to be low in vitamins and minerals, and the calories add up quickly. Cut back on added sugars to lower your total calorie intake and help control your weight. These foods also tend to be low in vitamins and minerals, and the calories add up quickly. Cut pictures of food from magazines. I like to use grocery store ads because there are a lot of foods to choose from.
Fat does not make blood glucose go up but too much fat can make you gain weight. Some fats are better for you than others. Fatty fish, like our mackerel recipes, and growing butternut squash, and our made in a jiffy Smoked Salmon Dip recipe are definitely on the agenda. So will planting a walnut tree, and another avocado tree.
Low-fat (1%) or fat-free (skim) milk can be used in many recipes in place of whole milk or half-and-half. Some dishes like puddings may result in a softer set. Low-fat desserts can be full of sugar. Don’t assume household brand-names or economy packs compare unfavourably with supposedly ‘healthier’ foods either.
Sugar-sweetened drinks, such as fruit juice, fruit drinks, regular soft drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, sweetened or flavored milk and sweetened iced tea can add lots of sugar and calories to your diet. But staying hydrated is important for good health. Sugar is sometimes called a ‘simple carbohydrate’ and is found in many forms including sucrose (table sugar), fructose (fruit sugar, honey), maltose (malt sugar), and lactose (milk sugar). Similar to sodium, sugar is hidden in many prepared foods for purchase.
Alcohol, tobacco, chocolate, peppermint, pickled foods, tomatoes, tomato-related products, and all fried or fatty foods can be linked to indigestion. All I tasted was sweet, sweet ginger ale goodness. Although it is best to eat well-balanced nutritious meals, sometimes you need something as convenient as a fast food restaurant. Or, you might simply want to full fill a craving.
Almost all of my clients who really work hard at eliminating processed junk foods from their diet are amazed at how sensitive they become to it when they haven’t eaten it for a while. You may have experienced this before, especially when it comes to eating sweets. Alternatively you may enjoy a veggie burger smothered in grilled onion and mushrooms.
Or if you want a large beef burger, then skip the fries and soda and have a side salad and water instead. All excellent sources of nutrients, sprinkled or chopped into breakfast cereals, desserts, sandwiches, or eaten by themselves. Nuts and seeds are high in calories because of their natural fat content.
All this in one fruit that is smaller than a baseball! All our publications are copyright-free. Please duplicate and distribute as many copies of these materials as desired. Also, don’t assume just because a product is organic, that it is healthier. Many processed organic foods have just as many additives (or more!) as the regular versions.
All chain grocers are mainstream. A corner store or convenience store can be placed in either the mainstream or fringe category, depending on its food offerings.
Although some fast food places may have more healthy fast food choices on their menus, you can create your own meal when you know what foods to include and what foods to avoid. This is what makes these dieting plans unique from other weight loss diets.
All around me I can see the evidence of making bad food choices. Just go people watching at any mall or a busy street corner and you’ll be overwhelmed at all the results of making bad food choices.
Sodas are full of high fructose corn syrup, a substance that causes you to pack on belly fat like nothing else. And don’t go thinking that diet soda is any better for you either! Soda is a huge source of hidden calories. Try adding a little lemon to your water.
Healthier alternative sources of protein include foods such as tofu, soy burgers, garden burgers, nuts, legumes, and other vegetable protein foods. They are cholesterol free and low in saturated fat. Healthy (and not so healthy) eating habits begin in childhood. Parents who serve nutritious foods are also teaching their children to make good food choices now and in the future. Healthy cooking and healthy food choices are easy and can be creative. It is full of great ideas that will make this Thanksgiving special.
Ask for brown rice instead. If the restaurant doesn’t serve brown rice, white rice will do, just make sure to keep the portion size small (tennis ball size). Ask for whole grain or whole wheat bread and choose as many veggies as you can. Lean meats like turkey, chicken, ham or roast beef are also good choices.
Eat lots of vegetables and fruits. Try picking from the rainbow of colors available to maximize variety. Eating even one fast food meal a day can overload your system with more fat, calories and sodium than you require for the whole day! Making healthier choices is all about doing your homework and being prepared.
Eat fruits and nuts instead of cookies. Choose whole wheat multigrain products. Eat junk and you will have an unhealthy body. Anyway, change for me doesn’t come easy unless I have good reasons for that change. Eating too many high-fat foods not only adds excess calories (which can lead to obesity and weight gain), but can increase your risk factor for several diseases. Heart disease, diabetes, certain types of cancer and osteoarthritis have all been linked to diets too high in fat.
Choose liquid oils for cooking instead of solid fats that can be high in saturated and trans fats. Remember that fats are high in calories. Choosing the right foods to eat; choosing to exercise; choosing to stop smoking. No matter how you look at it, being healthy depends a great deal on you making healthy lifestyle choices.