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Health
Tips
for healthy eating and being happy!
Don't
skip meals - plan for meals and snacks
Believe it or not, but three meals and two snacks are best
to maintain both energy levels and healthy weight. You are
more likely to overeat or choose nutrition-poor foods when
you skip meals and are over-hungry.
Eating
away from home?
Don't leave yourself stranded take foods with you or know
where you can go to buy something healthy and satisfying.
Learn
about simple, healthy ways to prepare foods
Think about baking, boiling, grilling or stir-frying, as
healthy ways to cook foods instead of deep frying your foods.
Try dried herbs (basil, oregano, parsley) and spices (lemon
pepper, chili powder, garlic powder) to spice up your food,
instead of adding toppings like butter, margarine, or gravy.
Try trimming off the skin and fat on your meat: you'll still
get plenty of flavour and it's more nutritious and heart-healthy!
Sugar
is "empty energy" - avoid getting too much
Sugary drinks are a big source of empty energy. This means
that they contain a lot of energy (in the form of calories)
that your body may not need and they don't have vitamins,
minerals, protein, or even fibre. Try sugar-free sodas,
sugar-free drink mixes, and water instead of regular drinks
or juice. Even "natural" unsweetened juices contain
a lot of energy you may not need. Don't go overboard 2 small
glasses a day of regular soda or juice is fine. Lots of
sugar is also found in desserts like cakes, cookies and
candies. Make a place for these foods once in a while, but
don't give up nutrition-rich foods to do it.
Pay
attention to your eating and your body.
Slow down when you eat. Try to relax and pace yourself so
that your meals last at least 20 minutes, since it takes
20 minutes for you to feel full. Listen to your body. Eating
when you are hungry and stopping when you are full will
help your body to balance its energy needs and stay comfortable.
Ask yourself: Am I eating because I'm hungry, or because
I'm stressed or bored? Try warm foods (soup, hot cereal,
cocoa) and high-fiber foods (whole grains, vegetables, beans)
to increase your feeling of comfortable fullness.
Stay
healthy and happy avoid "diet thinking."
There are no good foods or bad foods. All foods can be part
of healthy eating, in moderation. You do not need to buy
fat-free or dietetic foods. Fat-free or dietetic foods are
not necessarily lower in calories -they usually have lots
of added sugar to replace the fat!
YOU
are more important than your weight or body size believe
it! And your health and happiness can be hurt by drastic
weight loss plans. If you have not yet reached your adult
height, too much weight loss could interfere with your growth,
even if you are overweight. For younger teens who are overweight
but still growing, it may be important, to keep your weight
steady as you continue to grow, instead of focusing on weight
loss.
If you
feel you are overweight and want to make some changes in
your food intake, it's a good idea to contact your health
care provider. You may also want to ask your health care
provider for a referral to see a nutritionist (a person
who has studied nutrition, and knows all about food and
healthy ways to lose weight).
Source:
http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/healthyeating.html
Copyright
(R) thedailystar.net 2004
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