Healthy Eating and Dieting
Healthy bodies are a result of eating nutritious foods and disciplined dieting. Healthy eating and dieting are slowly becoming a way of life these days where fast foods have become a staple in our diets.
Let us discover how we can have a healthy eating and dieting practice with some basic information on eating healthy foods and dieting.
Remember that there is no snap of a finger solution when it comes to healthy eating and dieting. There is not one single dieting program that works for every person. We need to find an eating plan that works for our individual needs to become healthy.
Good nutrition does not come in supplements. Take supplements only as compliments to healthy eating and dieting if recommended by a doctor. Our bodies already benefits the most when we have a regular healthy eating and dieting practice.
Eating all different kinds of foods is best for our body; let us learn to try new foods especially organic fruits and vegetables.
Fad diets offer short-term changes, but good health comes from long-term effort and commitment to healthy eating and dieting practice.
Stories of people that claim they are on a successful healthy eating and dieting practice just after a week of taking a certain product or program are just infomercials. These people are usually paid to endorse what the ad is selling. Remember, regained weight or other problems that develop after someone has completed the diet program are never talked about in those ads.
A healthy eating and dieting practice includes two options with regards to our weight.
- To maintain our weight, the calories we eat must equal the energy we burn.
- To lose weight, we must use more calories than we eat.
A weight-control strategy might include:
- Choosing low-fat, low-calorie foods
- Eating smaller portions
- Drinking water instead of sugary drinks
- Being physically active
Healthy eating and dieting practice recommends us to eat our meals regularly. The 3 meals should be about the same size and should be low in fat. Try to eat 1 to 2 cups of fruits and vegetables, 2 to 3 ounces of whole grains and 1 to 2 ounces of meat (or a meat alternative) at most meals.
Some people benefit more with their healthy eating and dieting practice if they eat 5 to 6 smaller meals throughout the day, about 2 to 3 hours apart. For example, their first meal of the day might be a cup of low-fat or nonfat yogurt and a banana. Three hours later they might eat a simple whole-grain sandwich.
Do not skip meals. While this may help us lose weight in the beginning, it fails in the long run. Skipping meals may make us feel too hungry later in the day, causing us to overeat at our next meal.
After about a month of eating a normal breakfast, lunch and a light dinner, our body will adjust to our healthy eating and dieting practice.
