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Eating Healthy

What entails a healthy diet? Is it one where we eat very small amount of calories? Is it one where we drink meal replacement drinks since it has less calories than eating food? Is it completely eliminating all the foods we love and enjoy since eating healthy is supposed to be difficult and frustrating?

A healthy lifestyle should be none of the examples above!

A healthy eating lifestyle is much more than a diet. It takes careful consideration and planning as to how we decide to fuel our bodies.

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Healthy Eating Plan

In general, a healthy eating plan starts with foods that are lower in fat, lower in calories, and lower in sodium. Reducing the amount of calories and fat will help reduce the calories consumed at a meal. Reducing the amount of sodium intake will help reduce the risk for cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease.

Choose a variety of lean protein sources such as:

Fish and poultry
Beans
Nuts
Fresh/frozen fruits and vegetables
Whole grains

Choosing low-fat or fat-free dairy products such as milk, cheese, or yogurt is an easy way to reduce calories and fat without compromising the nutrients received from these food items.

Mindful Eating

Knowing which foods to eat is only half the battle, listening to our bodies and eating mindfully are the missing ingredients to a healthy lifestyle.

Mindful eating is eating consciously and listening to our bodies. Eating to where cravings are satisfied but not eating to a feeling of fullness or sickness. If cravings come on shortly after eating, try drinking a glass of water, because it may actually be thirst instead of hunger.

Keep all food in the kitchen. Eat only in a chosen place such as a kitchen table. Avoid eating in the car, in a bedroom or living room, or in front of the television. Outside of a chosen place, we are more likely to be distracted and will not sense our body’s signals that we are full.

Eating healthy is not a DIET. It is a lifestyle that incorporates making smart and healthy food choices, with the consciousness of mindful eating. Not eating just to eat but eating to be satisfied.