We all including myself truly wish to consume healthy foods to either
lose extra lbs or maintain our present wt or clothes size, like many I
often judge my wt by my clothes size, I have gained some unwanted wt
over the past few years and I don't wish to gain any more wt to the next
clothes size. Sometimes this is not a good substitute for the scale, see our
clothers do shrink through our washings and drying over a period of time
so there really is nothing better then maintaining your wt with the ol
faithful bathroom scale. This will be a three part article, even with my
chosen three parts there are so many things we can not cover with the
importance of choosing healthy foods in our diets. I hope these are very
helpful and interesting at the same time for you, I wish you the best of
luck with choosing healthy foods and maintaining your wt through my
helpful suggestions in this article.
Is Organic Worth It?
When you head to the grocery store, shopping for products like eggs,
meat, fish, milk, and produce can be very tricky. Signs are posted
everywhere labeling food as natural, organic, and a number of other
things—but what’s the difference, really? Learning what specific
names mean can help you decide if you should shell out extra money
on a product of it is simply a marketing ploy.
Natural is a turn associated with a number of fruit and vegetable
product. Typically, this is simple a marketing ploy to convince you
to buy the product. After all, all fruits and vegetables are natural,
right? Unless it’s a new kind of food that has been developed and
processed, the product is natural. What you really probably want is
organic. Organic foods are grown without chemical pesticides and
fertilizers. There are two main benefits to organic foods. First,
you are helping the environment because those chemicals are not
being introduced into nature. Secondly, you are avoiding ingesting
chemicals and are therefore healthy more healthy foods. However,
organic products are usually more expensive. If you’re on a budget,
skip over organic fruits and vegetables that you can peel, like oranges
and bananas. After all, once you’ve discarded the peel, you’ve also
discarded the chemicals. Instead, opt for organic items like apples,
where you eat the peel. No matter what you buy, however, make sure
that you rinse off the food when you get home.
Another tricky label you will see is “no hormones.” This is usually
in regards to milk or meat products and is false, since all animals
naturally produce hormones. Hormones are what helps an animal
(even a human) regulate body organs, have young, and otherwise
function. All meat products have hormones. What the labels really
mean is that no hormones were unnaturally given to the animal,
which is sometimes done to increase milk production. Regardless
of hormones, however, the milk and meat is safe for a person and
not a violation of an animal’s rights.
Lastly, a label on eggs and meat can indicate if the animal was caged
or penned. This does not make a difference in the quality or nutritional
value of the meat, but is simply a matter of animal rights. These
products may be a bit more expensive, but if you want to make human
decisions, that is the way to go. Reading the label and making healthy
choices can sometimes be difficult, but learning how to do so can help
you make the best choices for you diet.
Healthy Eating at a Restaurant: Is it Possible?
If you and your family love to eat at restaurants, you may think that
this lifestyle is not good for a healthy diet. In many cases, you would
be correct. However, you can still enjoy restaurants occasionally and
maintain your healthy diet. Its all about making good food choices,
which starts with learning about the nutrition you need to stay happy,
physically healthy, mentally stable, and active.
When you pick up the menu, start by skipping over the drink section.
Although you may be tempted to enjoy a beer or mixed beverage with
your dinner, these usually have many empty calories, which is not good
for your body. The exception to this rule when it comes to alcohol is wine,
especially red wine, which can be fine if you have a single glass and can
actually help prevent heart disease for some patients.
Also skip over the appetizer menu, unless it’s to over a side salad.
The appetizers at restaurants are usually high-fat foods that are not
meant to fill you up and can in fact make you crave even more high
fat foods. Examples of these are mozzarella sticks, potato skins, and wings.
Instead, simply focus on your main course or, if you must indulge, share a
single serving with the entire table of people.
When choosing your main dish, it is of course important that you look at
the ingredients of the dish. Anything with cream sauces or high-fat meats
should be avoided, and pass up the potatoes or onion rings. Instead over
side dishes like vegetables or ask for jus the main course when possible.
Remember too that portion is everything. Order off of the lunch menu
whenever you can, and ask for a doggie bag right away. Split your meal in
half from the start so that you are not tempted to eat the entire thing,
which is usually enough for two or three portions.
At the end of your meal, stick over the desert menu, just like you did
with the appetizers. Again, you can share a single desert with the entire
table if you feel compelled to order something, or split your portion in half.
Many fancy desserts at restaurants have more calories than your entire meal,
so keep this in mind before you flag down the waitress to put in an order!
Of course, on special occasions, it’s alright to cheat a little, but overall
healthy eating requires lots of resisting temptation around you.
How to Start Healthy Eating
If you currently do not eat a healthy diet, it can be difficult to start
such a plan. However, healthy eating is important for maintaining
bodily function and living a disease-free life. If you struggle with
healthy eating, than you know that breaking unhealthy habits can
be the most difficult part of the process. However, if you truly want
to live the best lifestyle possible, it is important to follow tips in
order to start eating a more healthy diet.
A good beginning step when you want to start eating more healthily
is to rid you home of all foods that do not fit into healthy categories.
Keep junk foods and beverages out of your house so that you will not
be tempted to snack during the day. If you’re worried about getting
hungry, keep healthy snacks like carrot sticks, yogurt, fresh fruit, or
whole-wheat crackers on hand. If you find that you just cannot bear
to toss out the sweets, try keeping something tiny on hand, like
chocolate chips. Eating a few of these won’t ruin your diet but also
will give you that little sugary fix you rave.
Another great step to healthy eating when you are first starting the
process is to take a few moments to learn about what foods are the
healthiest for you and how they work in the body. Most people
understand that fruits, vegetables, and low-fat means and dairy
products are good for you, but few people understand why. The key
is learning about nutrients. When you understand how specific
nutrients work in the body, you will be more likely to make these
healthy choices for your body. Knowledge really is power!
When cleansing yourself to prepare for a new healthy diet, you
should also take into consideration your schedule for meals. If you
often eat in a rushed hurry at odd times of day, you probably are
not getting the best foods possible. Plan ahead! Instead of grabbing
a fast food lunch on the go, take a bagged lunch to work, complete
with a healthy wrap and some fresh vegetables. Plan ahead for healthy
meals in the evening as well by cooking ahead if you are not currently
getting healthy dinners and have little time to cook when you get
home every night.
Start with baby steps. Even if you only replace one soda a day with a
glass of water, you are really improve your calorie intake. If you eat
fast food every day for lunch, try replacing that even half of the time.
When you start by taking small steps, it does not seem like you are
cutting out all of the foods you love and you can take your time to learn
about healthy foods which you can love equally as well.
Just Say No: Healthy Eating and Peer Pressure
If you are on a diet or simply enjoying a healthy lifestyle, than
you probably know that peer pressure to eat foods that are not
good for you is a major part of your life. If you are worried
about the food that goes into your mouth, don’t worry—there
are ways to overcome peer pressure. It simply takes a little
know-how to get people off your back!
Parties are a major source of peer pressure, especially with alcohol.
However, remember that alcohol contains hundreds of empty
calories in just one drink. When you go to a party, people might be
pressuring you to have a drink and relax, and it can be difficult
to say no when they are constantly trying to convince you. Instead,
offer to drive to a bar instead. This way, you re the designated
driver, so people won’t want you to drink and, in fact, they will
probably be purchasing you waters and maybe even helping to pay
for your gas. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.
Another time when you may feel pressured to eat is at work when the
boss orders lunch for everyone at a meeting or when you have to visit
a client. Instead of giving in to temptation, simply politely decline
the food by letting your boss know in advance or order a meal that is
healthy and split the portion in half so you have a meal for
tomorrow’s lunch as well.
Baby showers, weddings, birthday parties, and other special events can
also wreak havoc on your diet, even if you are good at resisting temptation
on your own. When someone hands you a piece of cake and won’t take
no for an answer, it can be difficult to know what to say! Here, little
white lies might be appropriate. For instance, saying that your stomach
was upset earlier in the day will convince a person that you don’t want to
eat at the moment or pretending to have a chocolate allergy will get people
to allow you to enjoy the party without a hassle surrounding food.
Remember, however, that while refusing bad foods is fine, you should be
eating good foods. If you do not, dangerous eating habits and disorders
can develop, which will give you, your friends, and your doctor a real
reason to worry. It’s ok to say no to peer pressure, but don’t say no to
food in general!
As for me I have to have some chocolate every now and then, my body just
craves it so instead of purchasing the big packs of large candy bars or the
large bags with a whole bunch of bite size bars I purchase one or two regular
size chocolate bars. Another trick which works for me is to drink one cup of
hot chocolate, this often relieves my craving for chocolate and for some reason
its much easier for me to resist then those large bags of candy calling my name
in my cupboard. I often have some kind of healthy treat in my apartment for
an emergency snack attack, I almost always have Fruit Bars in my freezer, they
are much healthier then many other snacks and they taste great and I actually
enjoy them without feeling guilty about snacking. Sadly I am not losing the wt
I have been attempting to lose since the new year 2011, but I can proudly say
I am maintaining my wt sticking between 10lbs which gives me the feeling I
am doing something right when it comes to eating more healthy foods and less
high fat snacks this year.
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