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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – No one will argue that eating well is the cornerstone to good health. Everywhere you turn someone is offering advice on how to eat. Some of the information is simply wrong, regardless of how well intentioned it might sound. Other information is so stern that you are led to believe if you deviate from the advice you are doomed to ill-health. Eating well is commonsense. It means trying to make the best choices most of the time.
Eat together at least a few times a week. Family meals are becoming extinct. Moms are buying and stocking the kitchen with grab-and-go, 24/7 food choices that fit the family’s preferences and schedules. This is too bad because family meals shape more than food habits. Eat together. It is more important than you think.
Don’t worry so much about cholesterol. The cholesterol story continues to unfold. Many experts feel our current recommendations for the amount of cholesterol to eat daily are too low. Other experts believe a certain amount of cholesterol can be healthy and we should not reduce our cholesterol so much. Experts in other countries – Canada, Australia, the European Union, United Kingdom, Ireland, Korea, Japan, India and New Zealand – no longer recommend restricting foods with cholesterol because they believe this provides no heart health benefits. Stayed tune, there is still more to learn on this issue.
If you want to lose weight cut yourself some slack. It won’t happen overnight. It takes knowledge, motivation, action and time to create change, but every small step you take in the right direction will help you become a trimmer, healthier you. Have patience, a small success is better than a big failure.
Protect your heart the right way. A healthy lifestyle trumps genes when it comes to lowering your risk of heart disease. Eat moderate amounts of fat. Avoid trans fat. Eat more whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Eat less sugar and refined carbs. Don’t smoke. Exercise regularly. If you are young and healthy, your goal is to stay that way. Adopt healthy lifestyles habits.
Don’t worry so much about the amount of fat you eat, focus more on the type of fat you choose. As the science of fats evolved researchers learned that some fats were healthy and others were less healthy. Today we recommend eating more polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat (vegetable oils) and eat less saturated fat (animal fats). Eat a moderate amount of fat — not a low fat diet — and avoid trans fat (solid fats used in baking and food processing like shortening).
There are over 40,000 edible plants. Give some a try. When grocery shopping, plan your meals around vegetables or whole grains like quinoa, rather than meat. Eat smaller amounts of meat – a stew or a stir-fry loaded with veggies. Plan meatless meals a few times a week – whole wheat spaghetti with mushroom marinara, bean-based chili, pita salad sandwich with hummus, veggie sushi, or bean burritos. Even the old standby peanut butter and jelly on whole grain bread is a plant-based choice.
Enjoy a glass of wine, but not the whole bottle. Alcohol is a double-edged sword. A little can be healthy but a lot can be damaging. One drink a day for women and no more than 2 drinks for men appear to protect your heart. Caution: as we get older, less is best, and many experts recommend no more than 1 drink a day for all over 55.
Be patient. To change behavior it is necessary to tap into the sentiment that drives a person to make decisions. Sentiments ignite passion, fuel commitment, and literally move people into action that can have a profound effect on how they lead their lives. Use 2016 to tap into the sentiments that drive your food choices. If they are good ones, stick with them. If they need adjustment, make the effort to change. Don’t use the all-or-nothing approach, it never works. Everybody who is trying to change will backslide every now and then. Don’t waste time feeling guilty, just reinstate healthy habits and get going in the right direction again. It is worth it.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of 30 books. Available as eBooks from iTunes and Amazon Kindle:
Diabetes Counter
Calorie Counter
Protein Counter
Healthy Wholefoods Counter
Complete Food Counter
Fat and Cholesterol Counter
Available in print from Gallery Books:
Most Complete Food Counter, 3rd Ed.
Your Complete Food Counter App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/your-complete-food-counter/id444558777?mt=8
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: www.TheNutritionExperts.com.
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