Healthy Eating Tips

One thing I’ve discovered is that making small yet significant adjustments can make all the difference in our goal to live healthy.

Let’s face it, most of us would be hard-pressed to make all the dietary changes we should make at one time. But, we can begin “doing the dos” and the “don’ts” will eventually disappear. For instance, the more healthy foods we eat, the healthier we’ll want to eat—eventually. Then, before we know it, the do of eating healthy becomes a lifestyle change.

Hebrews 5:14 says it this way “…even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” By reason of use, our senses are trained to prefer what is good.

Making simple adjustments in our diets can help us train our senses and yield big results. Here are a few “healthy eating” suggestions that are easy to do!

• Begin each day with a healthy breakfast.

Among other things it is proven to help with weight loss. Adding a high-fiber cereal to your diet is a great diet strategy. It will help you eat about 130 fewer calories per day. If you don’t like high-fiber cereals, add a little of a high-fiber variety to your regular cereal. Add berries and you’ve included a portion of your fruit for the day!

• Drink water.

It is vital to good health! At least 64 ounces of water each day is recommended. That may seem like a lot if you usually drink four colas each day and no water. Trying to omit all colas from your diet might set you up for failure. However, if the first week you determine to drink only two 12-ounce colas per day rather than four and drink water to replace those two colas, you’ve accomplished two things: You’ve reduced your calorie intake by 280 calories (140 calories per cola) and you’ve also added 24 ounces of water to your diet. The next week, drink three 12-ounce glasses of water and omit one more cola. As you begin drinking water, your body will develop a thirst for it. By “doing the do” of drinking water, eventually colas and the calories that go along with them will be omitted from your diet.

• Add fruits and vegetables to your diet.

The USDA recommends eating five servings, so if presently you are eating only two pieces of fruit per day, add one vegetable serving per day this week, and perhaps an additional piece of fruit per day the next.

• Fast the fast food.

If you are eating fast food four times a week, cut back to once or twice a week. Most fast food is high in fat, sodium and calories and low in nutrition. For instance, according to the McDonald’s U.S.A. Web site, a Big Mac has 560 calories and 30 grams of fat! Add to that a large order of fries (520 calories with 25 grams of fat) and a large cola (210 calories), and you may have exceeded your daily recommended calorie and fat intake in one meal.

Remember if you want to reach your goals, you must write them down with a specific course of action to help you reach those goals. Taking the above suggestions into account, your “week-one eating plan” to support healthy living and a weight-loss goal might include specifics such as, I will:

1. Eat a healthy breakfast.

2. Drink two 12-ounce glasses of water and omit two colas.

3. Eat two to four servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

4. Run fast, run far when I am tempted to drive through for fast food!

Next post will include some tips on exercise.