Following a healthy diet can be accomplished by making some simple adjustments to your current diet.
If you think it is just too much trouble to make some simple changes to
improve your family’s diet, think again. Most people do not realize the
incredible impact that a healthy diet has on our bodies, making the
difference between poor health and good health.
Along with regular physical activity, a healthy diet is the most
important factor that determines your weight. If you are overweight or
obese, your chances of developing many diseases or conditions,
including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis,
and certain cancers, increase significantly.
EASY STEPS TO A HEALTHY DIET
Your first step to following a healthy diet is to make sure you include
food from all food groups. Vegetables, fruits, whole-grains, legumes,
lean proteins and low fat milk products should all be incorporated into
your daily diet.
*VEGETABLES – A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk
of heart disease, stroke, and cancer. It also contributes to a healthy
weight, reducing your risk of obesity and the conditions associated
with it. There are a multitude of vegetables to choose from, the
healthiest being dark green vegetables like broccoli, lettuces, and
kale, orange vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash, and
red vegetables like red peppers and tomatoes.
*FRUITS – Eat a variety of fruits each day, canned, dried, fresh or
frozen. Stay away from fruit juices as they can be high in sugar.
*WHOLE GRAINS – Choose whole grain cereals, breads, rice, and pasta.Read the food label and make sure the grain that is listed such as
wheat, rice, oats or corn is referred to as WHOLE in the list of
ingredients. Whole grains are an excellent source of fiber. Fiber can
help reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
*LEGUMES – This class of vegetable includes beans, peas and lentils.
They are low in fat, contain no cholesterol, are high in protein, and
have phytochemicals, compounds that help prevent heart disease and
cancer. They are also a good source of fiber. Add pinto, kidney, black
and garbanzo beans, split peas and lentils to your daily diet.
*LEAN PROTEINS – Choose lean meats, poultry, and fish. Bake, broil, or
grill it. Do not fry! Beans, nuts and seeds also provide protein.
*LOW-FAT MILK PRODUCTS – Eat low-fat yogurt, low-fat cheese or low-fat
milk every day. Dairy products can lower your risk of diabetes and help
build strong bones, reducing your risk of osteoporosis.
There are a variety of foods that should not be present in your diet
except in very small amounts. These foods, such as sugars, alcohol, and
some fats, contribute to diseases and poor health.
*SUGARS – Avoid foods containing sugar. You know what they are! Always
check food labels to see how much sugar is present as some foods
contain sugar that may surprise you.
*ALCOHOL – Avoid alcohol. If you must drink, limit intake to one drink
a day. Alcohol can increase your risk of many conditions including some
types of cancers.
*FATS – There are different kinds of fat in our foods. Some are detrimental to your health and others are very healthy.
These fats raise your good cholesterol levels. To stick to a healthy diet, choose foods with these fats.
3. Saturated fat and trans fatty acids raise your bad cholesterol
levels, contributing to your risk of heart disease. Limit your intake.
Saturated fats are found in beef, veal, lamb, pork, lard, butter,
cream, whole milk dairy products and can be present in processed foods
like frozen dinners and some canned food. Always check food labels
before purchasing.
Trans fatty acids, the kind of fats that increase the risk of heart
disease, are formed during the process of creating cooking oils,
shortening, and margarine and are found in commercially fried foods,
some baked goods, and crackers. When checking food labels, make sure
the ingredients do not include hydrogenated fats.
Following a healthy diet is a necessary step for the improved health of
you and your family. It is not difficult to make the simple changes
necessary to change an unhealthy diet to a healthy one. The advantages,
better health, longer life, and more energy, far outweigh any
inconveniences you may experience.
