If you ask the Average Joe (or Jane) about his plans for the summer, chances are losing weight is going to be toward the top of the list, as each year seemingly countless Americans resolve to shed the extra pounds they’re carrying. While losing weight to get back into a favorite pair of jeans or to feel better at an upcoming special event can be satisfying, losing weight through eating healthy can yield many more rewards. It can reduce your risk of illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. It can also help improve your overall health by boosting energy, sharpening memory, and stabilizing mood.
As you move forward with your commitment to healthier eating this summer, Dr. Jonelle Haigh at Healthcare for Women offers these tips for success:
Keep it simple. Instead of being a slave to calorie counting, think of your diet in terms of color, freshness, and variety. Identify healthy foods you love and easy recipes that incorporate those foods.
Start slowly. Rather than changing the way you eat overnight, try making one or two healthy changes each week. Perhaps this is the week you commit to drinking fewer soft drinks and eating a salad with dinner each night.
Nutrition Fact:
Consuming just one can of soda a day can lead to a weight gain of 15 or more pounds a year.
Be realistic. Maintaining a healthy diet doesn’t mean you have to eat well all of the time. Remember to allow yourself the occasional indulgence, so that you don’t feel deprived – setting yourself up for failure.
Consider your portions carefully. When eating out, consider choosing an appetizer instead of an entrée, or share a meal with a friend. It can also be helpful to review a restaurant’s nutritional information online in advance of your visit. At home, use smaller plates and underserve yourself – you can always get more if you’re still hungry.
Portion Control: Popular Foods
» 3 Oz of Beef = Deck of Playing Cards
» 3 Oz of Fish = Checkbook Cover
» 1 Potato = Computer Mouse
» 1/2 Cup of Cooked Pasta = A Golf Ball
» 1/2 Cup of Rice = An Ice Cream Scoop
» 1 Tbsp of Butter = Three Dice
» 1 Dinner Roll = a Yo-Yo
» 1 Tsp of Butter = A Scrabble Tile
» 1 Cup of Cereal = A Baseball
» 1 Oz of Nuts = A Cupped Palm
» 1 Oz of Cheese = A Ping Pong Ball
» 3 Oz of Hamburger = A Mayonnaise Jar Lid
Savor every bite.Focus on your food by sitting at a table, rather than in front of the TV or computer. Eat slowly, as it takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough.
Plan ahead.Prepare and eat your own food whenever possible, so that you can control what you’re eating and how much of it you consume. For lunch, consider brown bagging it with fresh fruit and vegetables, low-fat yogurts and cheeses, whole wheat breads and lean meats. For dinner, pick a few easy, healthy recipes and build a meal schedule around them.
Stock up on healthy recipe basics, including:
• Recipe and soup starters such as garlic, onions, carrots and celery
• Fresh and dried herbs and spices
• Healthy fats and oils for cooking, such as olive oil and canola oil
• Salad fixings, such as lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, nuts and dried fruits
• Beans such as lentils, black beans, chickpeas and kidney beans
• Brown rice, white Basmati rice and whole wheat pasta
• Fresh and/or frozen fruits and vegetables
• Frozen fruit and berries to make desserts
• Unsalted nuts, single serving bags of low-fat crackers/chips, and low-fat gelatin and pudding cups for snacking
“It’s also important to eat a high-protein breakfast each and every morning – even if you don’t feel hungry. It gets your metabolism going,” says Dr. Haigh. “Eating smaller meals throughout the day can also help keep your energy level up, while helping prevent binge eating.”
Craving more tips for healthy eating?
Consider these additional recommendations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture:
Make half your plate fruits and vegetables: Choose red, orange, and dark-green vegetables like tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and broccoli, along with other vegetables for your meals. Add fruit to meals as part of main or side dishes or as dessert.
Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk: They have the same amount of calcium and other essential nutrients as whole milk, but fewer calories and less saturated fat.
Make half your grains whole grains: To eat more whole grains, substitute a whole-grain product for a refined product, such as eating whole-wheat bread instead of white bread or brown rice, instead of white rice.
Compare sodium in foods: Use the Nutrition Facts label to choose lower sodium versions of foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals. Select canned foods labeled “low sodium,” ”reduced sodium” or “no salt added.”
Too Much Salt? Probably So.
• The Adequate Intake (AI) of 1500 mg per day is the recommended average daily sodium intake level. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) set the AI for sodium for adults at 1500 mg per day to ensure that the overall diet provides sufficient amounts of other nutrients and to cover sodium sweat losses in physically active individuals.
• The Upper Limit (UL) of 2300 mg per day refers to the highest daily level of sodium that is likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects to almost all individuals in the general population. The UL is not a recommended intake and there is no apparent benefit to consuming levels of sodium above the Adequate Intake (AI).
• The average daily sodium intake for Americans age 2 years and older is 3,436 mg.
• Since the 1970s, the amount of sodium in our food has increased, and we are eating more food each day than in the past.
• The vast majority of sodium consumed is from processed and restaurant foods. Only a small portion is used in cooking or added at the table.
• Nearly 400,000 deaths each year are attributed to high blood pressure. Controlling sodium intake could prevent thousands of deaths annually.
Drink water instead of sugary drinks: Cut calories by drinking water or unsweetened beverages. Soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks are a major source of added sugar and calories in American diets.
For more information you can contact Dr. Jonelle Haigh at Healthcare for Woman at
434.791.2629