Enjoying a healthy lifestyle can have a positive impact not only on your health but on the people around you.
Have you ever made a resolution to start eating healthier and become more physically active? Healthy choices have a positive impact not only on yourself, but also those around you. If your goal is to lose weight or maintain your current healthy weight, here are some tips to help you achieve that goal. Remember, if you eat more than you expend, you gain weight. If you eat less (fewer calories) than you expend, you lose weight.
Make healthy choices a habit
This leads to a healthy lifestyle. Make a commitment to eat well, move more, and get support from family and friends. Even better, start eating healthier and being active together.
Remember to be realistic about your goals
If you try to reduce the amount of calories, fat, saturated fat, and sugar in your diet and promise to make a drastic change in your physical activity level, you may be setting yourself up for failure. Instead of trying to make a lot of changes at one time, set smaller, more realistic goals for yourself and add a new challenge each week.
Conduct an inventory of your meal/snack and physical activity patterns
Keep a food and activity journal. Write down not only what you eat, but where, when, and what you were feeling at the time. You should see what triggers your hunger and what satisfies your appetite. What foods do you routinely shop for? What snacks do you keep in the pantry? Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits each day.
The amount you should eat depends on your age, sex, and activity level. Eat foods that are high in fibre to help you feel full. Whole grain cereals, legumes (lentils and beans), vegetables, and fruits are good sources of fibre that may help you feel full with fewer calories.
Prepare and eat meals and snacks at home
This is a great way to save money, eat healthy and perhaps even spend time with your family. When preparing meals, choose low-fat/low-calorie versions of your favourite ingredients and learn how easy it is to substitute.
For example:
– Switch to 1 percent or non-fat milk and low-fat cheeses.
– Use a cooking spray instead of oil or butter to decrease the amount of fat when you cook.
– Start using a scale and measuring cup to serve your food.
– Read food labels to determine serving sizes. One bowl of cereal may actually be two ¾ cup servings (not a bowl full). A small frozen pizza may actually contain up to three servings (check the nutrition information label), which could add up to more calories than you think you’re getting. Being aware of serving sizes may make it easier to avoid those extra calories.
– Choose snacks that are nutritious and filling
– A piece of fresh fruit, cut raw vegetables, or a container of low-fat yogurt are excellent (and portable) choices to tide you over until mealtimes. Take these snacks with you for a healthy alternative to crisps, cookies, or sweets.
– Take your time.
– Eat only when you are hungry and enjoy the taste, texture, and smell of your meal as you eat it. Remember, it takes approximately 15 minutes for your stomach to signal your brain that you are full.
– If you choose to eat out, remember these important suggestions.
– Watch your portion size. Portion sizes at restaurants (including fast-food restaurants) are usually more than one serving, which can result in overeating. Choose smaller portion sizes, order an appetiser and a leafy green salad with low-fat dressing, share an entree with a friend, or get a “doggy bag” and save half for another meal.
Forgive yourself
If you occasionally make mistakes, don’t give up! Forgive yourself for making that choice and keep working on it. Eat an extra healthy lunch and dinner if you had a high-calorie, high-fat breakfast and add more physical activity to your day.
Remember physical activity
Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity five or more days per week. If you are just starting to be physically active, remember that even small increases provide health benefits. Check with your physician first, and then start with a few minutes of activity a day and gradually increase it, working your way up to 30 minutes. If you already get 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a day, you can gain even more health benefits by increasing the amount of time that you are physically active or by taking part in more vigorous-intensity activities.
Fruit and vegetable basics
Fruits and vegetables look good, taste great and contain vitamins and minerals
You can get your variety of fruits and vegetables in many ways because fruits and vegetables come fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and as 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice.
Getting Started
Not sure how to increase your fruit and vegetable intake? Start the day with 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice. Slice bananas or strawberries on top of your cereal. Have a salad with lunch, and carrot sticks for an afternoon snack; include a vegetable with dinner and you already have about five serves of fruits and vegetables. If you need more than 5 cups per day, try adding a piece of fruit for a snack or an extra vegetable (like carrots or green beans) at dinner.
There are so many choices when selecting fruits and vegetables. Have you ever tried kiwifruit? How about asparagus? Try something new that helps you reach your goal.
Keep things fresh and interesting by combining fruits and vegetables of different flavors and colors, like red grapes with pineapple chunks, or cucumbers and red peppers.
When you keep fruits and vegetables visible and easily accessible you tend to eat them more. For instance, store cut and cleaned produce at eye-level in the refrigerator, or keep a big bowl of fruit on the table.
You can get some of your fruits and vegetables at restaurants too. Try some of these healthy choices:
– pasta with vegetables (but watch out for those high fat cream sauces)
– fresh vegetable wrap
– vegetable soup
– small salad (instead of fries)
– plenty of fresh vegetables from the salad bar.
In a hurry from 9 to 5?
Buy ready-to-eat packaged fresh vegetables that are already cleaned. Pre-cut vegetables and salad mixes are a terrific time-saver. You’ll find them at your local supermarket.
Most local supermarkets offer prepared items as an alternative to fast-food, including sliced melons, fresh pineapple, salad mixes, and a salad bar to satisfy your hunger and.
Fruits and vegetables are nature’s original fast food. When it’s snack time, grab a piece of fruit of vegetables.
In a hurry for a healthy treat? Pick fruits and vegetables that require little peeling or chopping, like baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, grapes, broccoli spears, an apple, a banana, or a box of 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice.
Get juicy! Juice is a great way to get a variety of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. Buy low-fat or non-fat yogurt, fruit juice, and fresh, canned, or frozen fruit to blend a quick fruit smoothie. Buy 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice to quench your thirst and satisfy one serving of your fruit and vegetable goals.
Top-up your meals with fruits and vegetables
Add fresh fruit and vegetables to foods you already eat – like berries and bananas to yogurt and cereal; vegetables to pasta and pizza; and lettuce, tomato and onion to sandwiches.
Put some punch into your party by blending 100 percent fruit juices to create a refreshing new juice. Try mixing pineapple, orange, grapefruit, or other fruit juices. Add a slice of lemon or lime as a garnish.
Cooking with fruits and vegetables
A microwave is fast. Use it ’zap’ vegetables or a potato, while retaining their nutrients.
Grill fruits or vegetables. When grilling, wrap vegetables in aluminum foil, or use skewers of pineapple, yellow squash, eggplant, nectarines, zucchini, or cherry tomatoes, onions, mushrooms. Place over medium-hot coals for a fun-to-eat and flavorful BBQ treat.
Make a quick smoothie in the blender by purée peaches or nectarines, add a touch of your favourite fruit juice, crushed ice, and a light sprinkling of nutmeg. Make homemade salsa with tomatoes, mangoes, avocados, red onions, cilantro and lime juice.
Looking for a fun, healthy appetiser when you entertain? Try making spears of fruit by attaching strawberries, grapes, melon slices, or pineapple chunks onto small skewers. Use low-fat or non-fat yogurt for a dip.
Here’s a quick fruit salad you can make in less than a minute. Open a can of juice-packed mandarin oranges and empty into a bowl. Add a sliced banana, a sliced apple, and some blueberries or raisins.
Cool off with a great treat! Pour 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice into an ice cube tray or popsicle mold to make juice cubes or popsicles.
