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How To Start Eating HealthierFrom

Carol & Richard

Eustice,

Your Guide to

Arthritis.

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by

Kate Grossman, MD

 

12 Tips To Start Eating Healthier

 

Begin Eating Healthier With Better Planning And A Gradual

ApproachMost Americans consume too many calories

and not enough nutrients, according to the latest revision to the

Dietary

Guidelines for Americans.

Currently, the typical American diet is low in fruits, vegetables, and

whole grains, and high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar. As a result,

more Americans than ever are overweight, obese, and at increased risk for

diseases such as:

 

 

osteoarthritis

gout heart disease high blood pressure diabetes certain cancers

 

Of course old habits are hard to break, and the notion of change can seem

overwhelming.

But it can be done with planning and a gradual approach.

 

Registered DietitiansSome people can

improve eating habits on their own, while others need a registered

dietitian to guide them through the process. You may need a dietitian if

you are trying to lose weight or if you have a health condition such

as:

 

 

 

osteoporosis high blood pressure high cholesterol diabetes

 

Changing Your Eating HabitsMany

people are used to eating a certain way and never think about what they

are actually putting into their bodies. For example, some people

regularly drink six cans or more of regular soda every day, but when they

find out there are about nine teaspoons of sugar in one can, it puts

things more in perspective. Start by slowly changing your habits. Try

cutting back to three cans a day, then to two and so on, and then start

replacing some of the soda with healthier options.

Other people are eating a lot of food between mid-day and bedtime because

they skip breakfast.

Another common scenario is when someone has grown up thinking that meat

should be the focus of every meal. Change your habits slowly by trying to

eat two-thirds of the meat you would normally eat, and then decrease the

portion little by little. Cutting portion size limits calories. So does

eating lean cuts of meat and using lower-fat methods of preparation such

as broiling.

 

Look For BalanceWhen people strive

for more balance in their diets, they tend to enjoy mixing up their food

choices. A lot of times, people eat the same things over and over. When

they start trying new foods, they find out what they've been

missing.

 

Make Better ChoicesThe Nutrition

Facts label is an important tool that gives people guidance for making

smarter food choices from every food group. The label shows how high or

low a food is in various nutrients.

Dietary experts suggest, that once you start using the label to compare

products, you'll find there is flexibility in creating a balanced diet

and enjoying a variety of foods in moderation. For example, you could eat

a favorite food that's higher in fat for breakfast and have lower-fat

foods for lunch and dinner. You could have a full-fat dip on a low-fat

cracker. What matters is how all the food works together.

 

Motivations For ChangeOlder people

are most likely to improve their eating habits, but nutrition is

important for people of all ages. Dietary experts recognize, when people

have health problems or their friends become ill, these are often strong

motivators of change. The more serious the health condition, the more

serious the change, but it would be better if people made changes early

and prevented health problems in the first place.

So what if you're feeling trapped by a diet full of fast-food burgers and

cookies? You can work your way out slowly but surely.

Here are 12 tips to moving your eating habits in the right

direction.

Tip #1) Look at What You Eat NowWrite

down what you eat for a few days to get a good picture of what you're

taking in daily. By looking at what you eat and how much you're eating,

you can figure out what adjustments you need to make.

It is suggested that people write down what they are feeling. Were you

nervous, happy, or sad when you ate five slices of pizza in one sitting?

The very nature of writing things down in a food diary can help people

make healty changes. A food diary can keep your goals on track. Be

honest. I you have to write down that actually ate nine cookies, you may

only eat two instead.

Tip #2) Start With Small ChangesYou

don't have to go cold turkey. In the end, you want to achieve a long-term

healthy lifestyle. Small changes over time are the most likely to stick.

For example:

If you want to eat more vegetables, try to add one more serving by

sneaking it in. Add bits of broccoli to something you already eat like

pizza or soup. If you need more whole grains, add barley, whole wheat

pasta, or brown rice to your soup.

When you think about what you need to get more of, the other things tend

to fall into place. For example, if you have some baby carrots with lunch

or add a banana to your cereal in the morning, you're going to feel full

longer. You won't need a food that's high in sugar or fat an hour

later.

Also, look for healthier versions of what you like to eat.

If you like luncheon meat sandwiches, try a reduced-fat version. If you

like the convenience of frozen dinners, look for ones with lower sodium.

If you love fast-food meals, try a salad as your side dish instead of

french fries.

Pick one or two changes to start with.

Once the changes have become habits, which usually happens in about two

to four weeks, then try adding one or two more. In six to 12 months,

you'll find that you've made substantial changes.

 

Tip #3) Use the Nutrition Facts

LabelTo make smart food choices quickly and

easily, compare the Nutrition Facts labels on products.

Look at the percent Daily Value (%DV) column. The general rule of

thumb is that 5 percent or less of the Daily Value is considered low and

20 percent or more is high.

Keep saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium low, while keeping

fiber, potassium, iron, calcium, and vitamins A and C high. Be sure to

look at the serving size and the number of servings per package. The

serving size affects calories, amounts of each nutrient, and the

percentage of Daily Value.

The %DV is based on a 2,000-calorie diet, but recommended calorie intake

differs for individuals based on age, gender, and activity level. Some

people need less than 2,000 calories a day. You can use the %DV as a

frame of reference whether or not you consume more or less than 2,000

calories. The %DV makes it easy to compare the nutrients in each food

product to see which ones are higher or lower. When comparing products,

just make sure the serving sizes are similar, especially the weight

(grams, milligrams, or ounces) of each product.

Common Nutrient Content Claims, from USDA

fat-free less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving low-fat 3

grams or less per serving light one-third fewer calories or half

the fat of the " regular " version reduced when describing

fat, sodium, or calorie content, the food must have at least 25 percent

less of these nutrients than the " regular " version

 

Tip #4) Control Portion

SizesUnderstanding the serving size on the

Nutrition Facts label is important for controlling portions. Someone may

have a large bottled drink, assuming it's one serving, but if you look at

the label, it's actually two servings. And if you consume two servings of

a product, you have to multiply all the numbers by two. When the servings

go up, so do the calories, fat, sugar, and salt.

Other suggestions include, dishing out a smaller amount on your plate or

using smaller plates. If you put more food in front of you, you'll eat it

because it's there. According to the ADA, an average serving size of meat

looks like a deck of cards. An average serving size of pasta or rice is

about the size of a tennis ball. Here are some other ways to limit

portions:

 

Split a meal or dessert with a friend at a restaurant Get a doggie bag for half of your meal Get in the habit of having one helping Ask for salad dressing, butter, and sauces on the side so you can

control how much you use

 

Tip #5) Control Calories and Get the Most

NutrientsYou want to stay within your daily calorie

needs, especially if you're trying to lose weight. You also want to get

the most nutrients out of the calories, which means picking nutritionally

rich foods. Children and adults should pay particular attention to

getting adequate calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, and vitamins A, C,

and E.

According to the Dietary Guidelines, there is room for what's known as a

discretionary calorie allowance. This is for when people meet their

recommended nutrient intake without using all their calories. Some

dietary experts compare the " discretionary calorie allowance "

idea to a household budget. You know you have to pay all the bills and

then you can use the leftover money for other things. The discretionary

calorie allowance gives you some flexibility to have foods and beverages

with added fats and sugars, but you still want to make sure you're

getting the nutrients you need.

For example, a 2,000-calorie diet has about 250 discretionary calories,

according to the Dietary Guidelines.

Tip #6) Know Your FatsFat provides

flavor and makes you feel full. It also provides energy, and essential

fatty acids for healthy skin, and helps the body absorb the fat-soluble

vitamins A, D, E, and K. But fat also has nine calories per gram,

compared to four calories per gram in carbohydrates and protein. If you

eat too much fat every day, you may get more calories than your body

needs, and too many calories can contribute to weight gain.

Too much saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol in the diet increases

the risk of unhealthy blood cholesterol levels, which may increase the

risk of heart disease. People should lower all three, not just one or the

other.

Saturated fat is found mainly in foods from animals. Major sources

of saturated fats are:

 

cheese beef milk

 

Trans fat results when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil

to increase the food's shelf life and flavor.

Trans fat can be found in:

 

vegetable shortenings some margarines crackers cookies other snack foods

 

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance in foods from animal sources

such as:

 

meat poultry egg yolks milk and milk products

 

Most of your fats should come from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated

fatty acids, such as those that occur in:

 

fish nuts soybeans corn oil canola oil olive oil other vegetable oils

 

This type of fat does not raise the risk of heart disease and may

be beneficial when consumed in moderation.

Tip #7) Make Choices That Are Lean, Low-fat, or

Fat-freeWhen buying meat, poultry, milk, or milk

products, choose versions that are lean, low-fat, or fat-free. Choose

lean meats like chicken without the skin and lean beef or pork with the

fat trimmed off.

If you frequently drink whole milk, switch to 1 percent milk or skim

milk. Many people don't taste a difference. Some mix whole milk with

lower-fat milk for a while so the taste buds can adjust. This doesn't

mean you can never eat or drink the full-fat versions. Remember, that's

where the discretionary calories come in.

Other tips to reduce saturated fat include:

 

Cooking with non-stick sprays and using olive, safflower, or canola

oils instead of lard or butter. Eating more fish, which is usually lower in saturated fat than meat. Bake, grill, and broil food instead of frying it because more fat is

absorbed into the food when frying. You could also try more meatless entrees like veggie burgers and add

flavor to food with low-fat beans instead of butter.

 

Look at these differences in calorie content of commonly consumed

foods from, ARS Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release

17

1 oz. Regular Cheddar Cheese = 114 Calories vs. 1 oz. Low-fat Cheddar

Cheese = 49 Calories 3 oz. (cooked) Ground Beef (25% fat) = 236 Calories

vs. 3 oz. (cooked) Ground Beef (5% fat) = 148 Calories 1 cup Whole Milk

(3.24%)= 146 Calories vs. 1 cup Low-fat Milk (1%) = 102 Calories 3 oz.

(cooked) Fried Chicken leg with skin = 212 Calories vs. 3 oz. (cooked)

Roasted Chicken breast with no skin = 140 Calories 3 oz. Fried Fish = 195

Calories vs. 3 oz. Baked Fish = 129 Calories

 

Tip #8) Focus on FruitThe Dietary

Guidelines recommend two cups of fruit per day at the 2,000-calorie

reference diet. Fruit intake and recommended amounts of other food groups

vary at different calorie levels. An example of two cups of fruit

includes:

 

one small banana one large orange one-fourth cup of dried apricots or peaches

 

Eat a variety of fruits--whether fresh, frozen, canned, or dried--rather

than fruit juice for most of your fruit choices. The whole fruit has more

fiber, it's more filling, and it's naturally sweet. Some juices, such as

orange and prune, are a good source of potassium.

Ways to incorporate fruit in your diet include:

 

adding it to your cereal eating it as a snack with low-fat yogurt or a low-fat dip making a fruit smoothie for dessert by mixing low-fat milk with fresh

or frozen fruit such as strawberries or peaches.

 

Also, your family is more likely to eat fruit if you put it out on the

kitchen table.

 

Tip #9) Make Half Your Grains

WholeLike fruits and vegetables, whole grains are a

good source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

In general, at least half the grains you consume should come from whole

grains. For many, but not all, whole grain products, the words

" whole " or " whole grain " will appear before the grain

ingredient's name. The whole grain must be the first ingredient

listed in the ingredients list on the food package. The following are

some whole grains:

 

whole wheat whole oats oatmeal whole-grain corn popcorn wild rice brown rice buckwheat whole rye bulgur cracked wheat whole-grain barley millet

 

Whole-grain foods cannot necessarily be identified by their color

or by names such as brown bread, nine-grain bread, hearty grains bread,

or mixed grain bread.

Tip #10) Eat Your VeggiesThe Dietary

Guidelines recommend two and one-half cups of vegetables per day if you

eat 2,000 calories each day.

Try adding vegetables to foods such as:

 

meatloaf lasagna omelettes stir-fry dishes casseroles

 

Frozen chopped greens such as spinach, and peas, carrots, and corn are

easy to add. Also, add dark leafy green lettuce to sandwiches. You can

involve children by letting them help pick vegetables in different colors

when you're shopping.

Eat a variety of dark green vegetables such as:

 

broccoli spinach greens

 

Eat a variety of orange and deep yellow vegetables such as:

 

carrots winter squash sweet potatoes

 

Eat a variety of starchy vegetables and legumes such as:

 

corn dry beans peas chickpeas pinto beans kidney beans tofu

 

Eat a variety of other vegetables, such as tomatoes and onions.

Look for ways to make it convenient.

You can buy salad in a bag. Or buy a vegetable tray from the grocery

store and put it in the refrigerator. Everything's already cut up and you

can just reach in and eat it throughout the week.

Tip #11) Lower Sodium and Increase

PotassiumHigher salt intake is linked to higher

blood pressure, which can raise the risk of stroke, heart disease, and

kidney disease. The Dietary Guidelines recommend that people consume less

than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day (approximately one teaspoon of

salt). There are other recommendations for certain populations that tend

to be more sensitive to salt. For example, people with high blood

pressure, blacks, and middle-aged and older adults should consume no more

than 1,500 milligrams of sodium each day.

Most of the sodium people eat comes from processed foods. Use the

Nutrition Facts label on food products: 5%DV or less for sodium means the

food is low in sodium and 20%DV or more means it's high. Compare similar

products and choose the option with a lower amount of sodium. Most people

won't notice a taste difference. Consistently consuming lower-salt

products will help taste buds adapt, and you will enjoy these foods as

much or more than higher-salt options.

Prepare foods with little salt. The

DASH

(Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan from the

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends giving flavor to

food with:

 

herbs spices lemon lime vinegar salt-free seasoning blends

 

Consult with your physician before using salt substitutes because

their main ingredient, potassium chloride, can be harmful to some people

with certain medical conditions.

Potassium counteracts some of sodium's effect on blood pressure. Increase

potassium-rich foods such as:

 

sweet potatoes orange juice bananas spinach winter squash cantaloupe tomato puree

 

Tip #12) Limit Added SugarsThe

Dietary Guidelines recommend choosing and preparing food and beverages

with little added sugars. Added sugars are sugars and syrups added to

foods and beverages in processing or preparation, not the naturally

occurring sugars in fruits or milk. Major sources of added sugars in the

American diet include regular soft drinks, candy, cake, cookies, pies,

and fruit drinks. In the ingredients list on food products, sugar may be

listed as:

 

brown sugar corn syrup glucose sucrose honey molasses

 

Be sure to check the sugar in low-fat and fat-free products, which

sometimes contain a lot of sugar.

Instead of drinking regular soda and sugary fruit drinks, try

dinking:

 

diet soda low-fat or fat-free milk water flavored water 100 percent fruit juice

 

For snacks and desserts, try fruit. People are often pleasantly surprised

that fruit is great for satisfying a sweet tooth. If ice cream is calling

your name, don't have it in the freezer. Make it harder to get by having

to go out for it. Then it can be an occasional treat.

 

Smart Snacks

 

unsalted pretzels applesauce low-fat yogurt with fruit unbuttered and unsalted popcorn broccoli, carrots, or cherry tomatoes with dip/low-fat yogurt grapes apple slices with peanut butter raisins nuts graham crackers gingersnap cookies low or reduced-fat string cheese baked whole-grain tortilla chips with salsa whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk

 

More

Information

Dietary

Guidelines for Americans 2005 and " Finding Your Way to a Healthier

You " MyPyramid Plan: Steps

to a Heathier You

Calculate the number

of calories you need to maintain your current weight

 

Related Resources - Eating

Healthier

Diet

& Prevention

Weight Control &

Arthritis

 

Arthritis & Weight Loss Quiz

Diet And

Arthritis: The Link Is Complex

 

Arthritis & Diet Quiz

 

Related Resources -

Exercise

Exercise &

Arthritis

 

Exercise: Essential Treatment For Arthritis

How

To Exercise When You Have Arthritis

 

Arthritis & Exercise Quiz

Source: Healthier Eating by Michelle Meadows, FDA Office of Public

Affairs, FDA Consumer Magazine May-June 2005 Issue

 

 

http://arthritis.about.com/od/weight/a/eatinghealthier_3.htm

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