A Healthy Diet Plan

With today’s fast-paced lifestyle and abundance of unhealthy food, a healthy diet plan is often not a priority.  However, maintaining a healthy weight and diet is important to your health and well-being.  Excess weight can contribute to high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and stroke.  Poor food choices can also affect mood, energy levels, thinking capacity, sleeping habits, sex drive and general health. 

The key to a good diet plan is learning to eat healthy.  Fad diets that restrict calories or carbohydrates, high protein diets and various others, work by cutting out something that the body may need.  Weight loss may happen, but it is hard to keep it off once a normal eating pattern resumes.  Learning to eat what is good for life-long health, along with a good exercise program is key to a healthier, happier you.

HEALTHY DIET TIPS:

    *Eat something healthy and substantial for breakfast everyday.  The stomach’s digestive enzymes are at their greatest in the mornings, and it will get your metabolism going.  The stomach’s digestive function will gradually weaken if breakfast is skipped.  Oatmeal or fresh fruit are good choices.

    *Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables (4-6 servings each day), whole grain breads, rice and grains.  These are healthy carbohydrates or complex carbs.  They provide fiber, vitamins, nutrients and enzymes the body needs.  They contain naturally occurring sugars that are slowly metabolized for better brain function, mood and energy levels.

    *Eat healthy proteins.  Vegetable proteins, such as beans, nuts and whole grains, contain fiber, vitamins and minerals.  Healthy animal protein sources include fish and poultry.  Red meat should be eaten sparingly and when consumed, the meat should be lean cut.

    *Avoid over-processed foods (such as white flour and sugar), chemically charged foods, foods containing preservatives and artificial sugars and foods that contain little or no nutritional value.  These foods often contain high calorie counts.

     *Avoid saturated and trans fats in food choices.  These are the bad fats.  They cause inflammation in the body, depression, disease, obesity and heart disease.

     *Omega-3 fats are good fats.  Eat two to three servings of these fats each day.  They can be found in foods such as fish, nuts, seeds and healthy oils.  These fats aid in digestion.

    *Drink two to three liters of water a day.  Water is the body”s #1 nutrient that it cannot do without.  Water is critical for cellular function.  Cold water increases metabolic rate by as much as 30 percent.  It is essential for losing and maintaining weight.

    *Maintain a healthy calorie intake.  When calorie intake is too low, metabolism slows down to save energy for the body.

Don’t set unrealistic goals that end up being discouraging.  Keep your focus on the benefits of being healthy, fit and confident.  If you do overindulge, don’t get discouraged.  Splurging occasionally won’t ruin your efforts.  Learning a new eating regime takes time and discipline!