How to Eat Healthy

Since most people are creatures of habit, making chnages--even those that are good for us--can be a little scary. We are so used eating a certain way that we rarely think about what we're actually putting into our bodies. So, in order for healthy eating changes to be successful, we must pay close attention to what we eat.

Have you ever taken a good look at your daily diet? Before making any changes to your diet, take about a week or so to observe your current eating habits. A good way to do this is to keep a journal. Track everything that goes in your mouth, including drinks and treats, no matter how small. Sometimes we don't really pay attention to everything that goes into our bodies, and keeping a food journal can be a real eye opener. Once you can recognize where changes need to be made you're ready to take the next steps.

You can print a Food Journal Template from my web site HERE.

And, here's a list of some web sites that offer free online food journals. These are handy becasue they calculate the nutrition facts for you (for most foods). If your food is not in their database, you can add it.

www.thedailyplate.com
www.fitday.com
www.my-calorie-counter.com
www.myfooddiary.com
www.nutridiary.com

Start by making a few simple substitutions (plus, starting out small helps you to avoid burnout). One of the biggest challenges to eating healthier is finding good substitutions for existing foods in your diet. Here are some tips to make the transition easier:

Replace soda (even diet soda is unhealthy) and fruit juices with water. Aim for eight cups of pure water each day. Drinking water before meals can help you feel fuller and prevent overeating.

Select 100% whole wheat bread (not multi grain, whole wheat or mixed grains) over white bread (same goes for pasta). Be sure to read the label. The first ingredient should be 100% whole wheat (the 100% is important). Stone ground is best.

Use mustard instead of mayonnaise on your sandwiches. It has much fewer calories and fat.

Change your cooking methods. Bake, grill, broil, or steam your meals instead of frying them.

Use ground turkey instead of ground beef. It's leaner and better for your heart.

Ask for a side salad or vegetables with your meals instead of fries. Flavor vegetables with lemon juice or herbs instead of butter.

Eat brown rice instead of white rice, and whole-wheat pasta.

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By starting with just one or a few goals, you can easily ingrain a new habit into your life. Take brushing your teeth for example. It's a daily activity that takes just a few minutes every single day for years on end. Ever get burned out? Nope. That's because it was a small thing that caught on with repetition. Healthy eating habits can catch on too!

Don't try to do all these things today. Start out with just one or two changes at a time. Tonight stop eating at least 2 hours before bed. Do this every night. Next week, start having breakfast every morning. Maybe even once or twice this week just to get you ready for the change. Stick with your new healthy habits and they will become second nature, like brushing your teeth every day.

For more substitutions and food swapping tips, I recommend these great books:

Throughout your day you will be faced with many eating choices. And where there are choices, there are mistakes. Some mistakes will be easy to avoid. You know that the office party donuts are off limits (duh?), and that drinking water is better than drinking a soda (at least you do now), but what about foods that sound healthy, or are marketed so, but aren't? Some of these deceiving foods are listed below. Maybe you've been tricked by them too?

Bran muffins, energy bars, 100% fruit juice (is it really?), frozen entrees, and granola are just a few. Read this to learn more about these foods.

Educating yourself about what "healthy" food really is, can save you from frustration and help keep you on the right track.

Problem:
I don't have time to cook and prepare healthy meals.

Solution:
Meals don't need to be the traditional home cooked meal either. There are plenty of easy meals that require minimal preparation that pack plenty of nutrition. Raw fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals, low fat dairy products, canned beans and precooked lean meats can be used to prepare simple yet nutritious quick meals. Choose from a wide variety of foods and try to limit foods that are highly processed.

The healthiest food is raw food. Fruits and vegetables have active enzymes essential to proper digestion. Cooking is a form of predigestion in which heat is used to hydrolyze nutrients which would otherwise be hydrolyzed at body temperature by digestive enzymes. Keep in mind that there are some fruits and vegetables that are actually better for you when cooked, like tomatoes.

Plus, fruits and vegetable are not only good for you, but naturally low in calories, a big plus for those of us trying to lose weight! They're perfect on-the-go foods. So are nuts!

Problem:
I don't like vegetables. (This was actually one of my problems too.)

Solution:
If you can't stand the taste of asparagus, then vowing to eat it more often is not going to work for you. Make a small goal of increasing the number of vegetables you eat each day. Start by finding a few different ones that you can painlessly work into your diet. Make sure you select a variety of colors (dark green, red, orange, etc.) to get the most nutrients per bite. Add some shredded carrots to your muffin batter or top your pizza with fresh tomatoes, for example.

Try planting your own garden. By growing my own vegetables, I added the excitement of eating something I made, literally from scratch. Don't have the first clue about gardening? Neither did I. There are some great gardening books out there for beginners (see my recommended list below).

Problem:
Healthy Food Ain't Cheap.

Solution:
Sure, your wallet loves that 75 cent box of Mac-N-Cheese, but your body screams for more nutritious fare. In the long run, healthier food choices are well worth the cost. A healthy diet consisting of lots of fresh berries and wild salmon is certainly pricier than a box of Rice-A-Roni. Here are some ways to save big when buying healthy:

Buy fruits when in season (they're cheaper) or on sale and freeze them. Berries and pineapple slices are good choices for freezing.

Do the same with fish and lean meats. Invest in a wholesale membership such as Costco or Sam's Club. Buy your chicken, ground turkey, and fish in bulk. Portion them into meal sizes, and freeze them for later.

No room in your freezer for all this stuff? Buy a storage freezer. You can find good deals on craigslist. My husband bought a good-sized one for us for $25 and it has been working great for us for 5 years now. We keep it in the backyard just outside our kitchen door. The garage is another great place.

Problem:
I Hate Exercise!

Solution:
Make exercise light and FUN. Exercise can be easily incorporated into daily routines by activities such as walking, undertaking housekeeping and gardening chores energetically, taking dance classes, playing with your kids, or doing simple exercises while watching television, cooking, or waiting for an appointment. Find a whole list of options HERE [link coming soon].

Tai Chi has been found to be an especially good form of exercise for older people as it is safe, improves balance, flexibility and coordination, and has positive effects on blood pressure, aerobic fitness, and self-image. Swimming is also great, especially if your activity has been restricted due to injury or pain.

And, again, start out slow. Exercising just 10 minutes per day can add up to a strong foundation for a developing exercise program.

As with any exercise program, please consult your health care provider or physician before beginning any exercise regimen.

Here's a great article with helpful tips for overcoming common road blocks on your journey to healthy weight loss.

Statistics show that 95% of those who go on a diet gain any weight they lost back within a year. Many even gain more weight than before they started. People regain weight after dieting because the diet they were on was--in their mind--temporary. Surely, they did not think they had to go on like that forever, who could? This is why a healthy LIFESTYLE CHANGE is so important. You need to train your body to eat a certain way, and adopt healthy habits that will continue for a lifetime.

Remember this is the rest of your life we're talking about. It won't happen overnight, but it will happen. Forget diets, they don't work. Focus on living healthier, and you will become just that.

Congratulations on taking this amazing step towards your Optimum Life NOW!