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Monday, March 17, 2014
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
HOW TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH BY HEALTHY EATING?
Reflect, Replace,
Reinforce: A process for improving your eating habits
1. Create a list of your eating habits.
Keeping a food diary for a few days, in which you write down everything you eat
and the time of day you ate it, will help you uncover your habits. For example,
you might discover that you always seek a sweet snack to get you through the
mid-afternoon energy slump. It's good to note how you were feeling when you
decided to eat, especially if you were eating when not hungry. Were you tired?
Stressed out?
2. Highlight the
habits on your list that may be leading you to overeat. Common eating habits
that can lead to weight gain are: Eating too fast Always cleaning your plate
Eating when not hungry Eating while standing up (may lead to eating mindlessly
or too quickly) Always eating dessert Skipping meals (or maybe just breakfast)
3. Look at the
unhealthy eating habits you've highlighted. Be sure you've identified all the
triggers that cause you to engage in those habits. Identify a few you'd like to
work on improving first. Don't forget to pat yourself on the back for the
things you're doing right. Maybe you almost always eat fruit for dessert, or
you drink low-fat or fat-free milk. These are good habits! Recognizing your
successes will help encourage you to make more changes.
5. Circle the
"cues" on your list that you face on a daily or weekly basis. Going
home for the Thanksgiving holiday may be a trigger for you to overeat, and
eventually, you want to have a plan for as many eating cues as you can. But for
now, focus on the ones you face more often.
6. Ask yourself
these questions for each "cue" you've circled: Is there anything I
can do to avoid the cue or situation? This option works best for cues that
don't involve others. For example, could you choose a different route to work
to avoid stopping at a fast food restaurant on the way? Is there another place
in the break room where you can sit so you're not next to the vending machine?
For things I can't avoid, can I do something differently that would be
healthier? Obviously, you can't avoid all situations that trigger your
unhealthy eating habits, like staff meetings at work. In these situations,
evaluate your options. Could you suggest or bring healthier snacks or
beverages? Could you offer to take notes to distract your attention? Could you
sit farther away from the food so it won't be as easy to grab something? Could
you plan ahead and eat a healthy snack before the meeting?
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| Replace with healthy food |
7. Replace
unhealthy habits with new, healthy ones. For example, in reflecting upon your
eating habits, you may realize that you eat too fast when you eat alone. So,
make a commitment to share a lunch each week with a colleague, or have a
neighbor over for dinner one night a week. Other strategies might include
putting your fork down between bites or minimizing other distractions (i.e. watching
the news during dinner) that might keep you from paying attention to how
quickly — and how much — you're eating.Here are more ideas to help you replace
unhealthy habits: Eat more slowly. If you eat too quickly, you may "clean
your plate" instead of paying attention to whether your hunger is
satisfied.Eat only when you're truly hungry instead of when you are tired,
anxious, or feeling an emotion besides hunger. If you find yourself eating when
you are experiencing an emotion besides hunger, such as boredom or anxiety, try
to find a non-eating activity to do instead. You may find a quick walk or phone
call with a friend helps you feel better. Plan meals ahead of time to ensure
that you eat a healthy well-balanced meal.
8. Reinforce your
new, healthy habits and be patient with yourself. Habits take time to develop.
It doesn't happen overnight. When you do find yourself engaging in an unhealthy
habit, stop as quickly as possible and ask yourself: Why do I do this? When did
I start doing this? What changes do I need to make? Be careful not to berate
yourself or think that one mistake "blows" a whole day's worth of
healthy habits. You can do it! It just takes one day at a time!
RISKS OF UNHEALTHY EATING
There is a direct relationship between your level of
physical activity and how much energy you use up from the food you eat. If you
eat more than you use the surplus energy is stored as body fat; this means you
will become overweight which in itself increases your risk of disease and
disability.
You have a higher risk of getting Coronary Heart Disease,
hypertension, diabetes mellitus, constipation, joint pain, breathlessness and
being obese. Your risks multiply if you eat too much animal fat, smoke, drink
alcohol and take very little exercise.
Coronary Heart
Disease
Eating too much animal fat is a main cause of ill-health.
Our bodies need very little but most of us eat too much. You may have heard of
saturated fats. These are found mainly in the meat of cows, pigs and sheep and
in products which include their meat and fat, such as sausages, meat pies and
beef burgers. Eating too much Saturated Fat can lead to Coronary Heart Disease and being overweight.
Eating too much red meat can also increase your cancer risk. Skip processed meats like
bacon, ham, pastrami, salami, sausage, hot dogs and pepperoni. Choose fish,
poultry, or beans instead of beef, pork or lamb.
Unsaturated fats, however, are found in oily fish, chicken,
eggs, turkey, duck, beans and lentils and foods made from these. Unsaturated
fat may be better for you, but eating too much fat of any type can increase
your weight. It is better to buy a small amount of lean meat rather than fatty
meat or solid fat. It is even better to eat more fish of all kinds. Remember to
cut down on any animal fat used in cooking, e.g. in soups do not add fat and do
not fry food.
Hypertension
In some people, eating too much salt can make high blood
pressure much worse. In others, the same amount of salt consumption may have no
effect. This, combined with the fact that too much salt is bad for the heart
regardless of blood pressure status, means that reduced sodium is a strongly
recommended part of a healthy diet. These recommendations are especially
important in the setting of secondary high blood pressure due to kidney
problems.
Saturated fats, especially trans-fats, are bad for both the
heart and blood vessels. Because the circulatory system is already under a lot
of stress in the setting of high blood pressure, extra strain can be
devastating. The balanced high blood pressure diet should include sparse
amounts of saturated and trans-fats (red meat, fast food), and moderate amounts
of other fats (olives, canola oil).
Diabetes mellitus
When you consume a lot of refined grains and sugar-rich
foods, your glucose levels spike and drop repeatedly. Over time, these dramatic
changes in your blood sugar levels can lead to insulin resistance, which is
characterized by a decreased sensitivity to insulin. If this condition is not
corrected, it can advance to Type 2 diabetes.
Obesity
Obesity is a major consequence of not eating healthy and it
leads to major illnesses have been mentioned above. Obesity and overweight have
in the last decade become a global problem - according to the World Health
Organization (WHO) back in 2005 approximately 1.6 billion adults over the of
age 15+ were overweight, at least 400 million adults were obese and at least 20
million children under the age of 5 years were overweight. Experts believe if
the current trends continue by 2015 approximately 2.3 billion adults will be
overweight and more than 700 million will be obese. The scale of the obesity
problem has a number of serious consequences for individuals and government
health systems.
BENEFITS OF HEALTHY EATING
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| Food Pyramid |
Let's focus on the Benefits of having Healthy Eating.
Firstly, eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce risk for heart disease, including heart attack and stroke.
Eating a diet rich in some vegetables and fruits also may protect against certain types of cancers.
Diets rich in foods containing fiber, such as some
vegetables and fruits, may reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, and type
2 diabetes.
Besides that, this may lower blood pressure, and may also reduce the risk of
developing kidney stones and help to decrease bone loss.
Eating foods such as vegetables that are lower in calories
per cup instead of some other higher-calorie food may be useful in helping to
lower calorie intake.
Healthy eating also can give us healthy heart, strong bone and teeth, full of energy, healthy brain and control our weight.
Heart Health
A diet
low in fats, cholesterol and sodium can lower your risk of heart disease. The
types of fat in your diet play a major role in your level of risk. Saturated
and trans fats -- commonly found in red meats, fried foods, coconut oils, palm
oils, margarines and packaged snack foods -- increase your risk and should be
avoided. Diets that reduce your risk of heart disease are rich in fruits, vegetables,
whole grains and low-fat dairy. Aim for four to five servings of fruits and
four to five servings of vegetables per day.
Bone and Teeth Strength
A diet
rich in calcium keeps your bones and teeth strong and helps prevent bone loss
associated with osteoporosis. Low-fat dairy products, such as milk, cheese and
yogurt; dark green vegetables, such as bok choy and broccoli; and fortified
foods, such as soy products, fruit juices and cereals are good sources of
calcium. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 1,000
milligrams of calcium daily for average adults ages 19 to 50. Vitamin D helps
your body absorb calcium; choose products fortified with vitamin D to balance
your nutrition.
Energy
Increased
energy levels are the immediate benefits of switching to a healthy diet.
Eliminating excess fats, sugars and refined carbohydrates helps prevent blood
sugar fluctuations. Examples of refined carbohydrates include candy and white
breads. Unprocessed carbohydrates including whole grains, fruits and vegetables
are most nutritious. This allows you to maintain steady blood sugar and
constant energy levels as a result. Small, frequent meals also help maintain
energy. In addition, eating a healthy breakfast helps keep you energized
throughout the day. The American Council on Exercise recommends breakfasts,
such as oatmeal with fruit, or a light sandwich.
Brain Health
Proper
nutrition increases blood flow to your brain, protecting brain cells and
helping to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. For a brain healthy diet, avoid fried
foods and favor baked, steamed and grilled foods. Also, eat dark fruits and
vegetables such as kale, spinach, broccoli, prunes, raisins, blueberries,
raspberries, plums and cherries. Almonds, walnuts, pecans and other nuts are
great sources of vitamin E, which along with other vitamins, also helps fight
Alzheimer’s disease.
Weight Control
To
prevent weight gain, you must eat no more calories than you burn each day. For
weight loss, you must eat fewer calories than your body burns daily. Healthy
and nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean
proteins, typically contain fewer calories than sodas, sweets and fast food
meals. Shedding excess pounds reduces your risk of obesity-related conditions
such as type-2 diabetes, clogged arteries and thyroid dysfunction.
INTRODUCTION TO HEALTHY EATING
| Healthy Eating, Keep Healthy |
"A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings, and learn how by his own thought to derive benefit from his illnesses"- Hippocrates.
Have you looked into the mirror and wondered how was your health status? If yes, do you want to change it? It is believed that healthy eating can reduce the risk for a lot of chronic diseases such as Diabetes Mellitus, obesity, and worst colorectal cancer.
Healthy eating is not about depriving yourself to the death. The right way to practice is through moderation. For more of us, moderation or balance means eating less than we do now (because we are fat!). More specifically, it means eating far less of unhealthy stuff and more of the healthy. But it doesn't mean eliminating the food you love (sounds tempting right?? ). Eating cakes during your birthday once a year could be considered moderation if you follow it with a healthy lunch and dinner-but not if you follow it with a fast food ( KFC, McD.) . If you are still hungry, fill up with an extra serving of fresh vegetables.
For the last but not least, takes food with the right proportion according to food pyramids. Let's look more about the Benefits of Healthy Eating, Risks of Unhealthy Eating and How to Improve our Health by Healthy Eating from us!
For the last but not least, takes food with the right proportion according to food pyramids. Let's look more about the Benefits of Healthy Eating, Risks of Unhealthy Eating and How to Improve our Health by Healthy Eating from us!
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