10 Tips To Healthy Eating

Experts agree the key to healthy eating is the time-tested advice of balance, variety and moderation. In short, that means eating a wide variety of foods without getting too many calories or too much of any one nutrient. These 10 tips can help you follow that advice while still enjoying the foods you eat.

1. Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them all. Your daily food selection should include bread and other whole-grain products; fruits; vegetables; dairy products; and meat, poultry, fish and other protein foods. How much you should eat depends on your calorie needs. Use the Food Guide Pyramid and the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels as handy references.


2. Enjoy plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Surveys show most Americans don't eat enough of these foods. Do you eat 6-11 servings from the bread, rice, cereal and pasta group, 3 of which should be whole grains? Do you eat 2-4 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables? If you don't enjoy some of these at first, give them another chance. Look through cookbooks for tasty ways to prepare unfamiliar foods.





3. Maintain a healthy weight. The weight that's right for you depends on many factors including your sex, height, age and heredity. Excess body fat increases your chances for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer and other illnesses. But being too thin can increase your risk for osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities and other health problems. If you're constantly losing and regaining weight, a registered dietitian can help you develop sensible eating habits for successful weight management. Regular exercise is also important to maintaining a healthy weight.


4. Eat moderate portions. If you keep portion sizes reasonable, it's easier to eat the foods you want and stay healthy. Did you know the recommended serving of cooked meat is 3 ounces, similar in size to a deck of playing cards? A medium piece of fruit is 1 serving and a cup of pasta equals 2 servings. A pint of ice cream contains 4 servings. Refer to the Food Guide Pyramid for information on recommended serving sizes.


5. Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating. When you're very hungry, it's also tempting to forget about good nutrition. Snacking between meals can help curb hunger, but don't eat so much that your snack becomes an entire meal.


6. Reduce, don't eliminate certain foods. Most people eat for pleasure as well as nutrition. If your favorite foods are high in fat, salt or sugar, the key is moderating how much of these foods you eat and how often you eat them.Identify major sources of these ingredients in your diet and make changes, if necessary. Adults who eat high-fat meats or whole-milk dairy products at every meal are probably eating too much fat. Use the Nutrition Facts panel on the food label to help balance your choices.Choosing skim or low-fat dairy products and lean cuts of meat such as flank steak and beef round can reduce fat intake significantly.If you love fried chicken, however, you don't have to give it up. Just eat it less often. When dining out, share it with a friend, ask for a take-home bag or a smaller portion.


7. Balance your food choices over time. Not every food has to be "perfect." When eating a food high in fat, salt or sugar, select other foods that are low in these ingredients. If you miss out on any food group one day, make up for it the next. Your food choices over several days should fit together into a healthy pattern.


8. Know your diet pitfalls. To improve your eating habits, you first have to know what's wrong with them. Write down everything you eat for three days. Then check your list according to the rest of these tips. Do you add a lot of butter, creamy sauces or salad dressings? Rather than eliminating these foods, just cut back your portions. Are you getting enough fruits and vegetables? If not, you may be missing out on vital nutrients.


9. Make changes gradually. Just as there are no "superfoods" or easy answers to a healthy diet, don't expect to totally revamp your eating habits overnight. Changing too much, too fast can get in the way of success. Begin to remedy excesses or deficiencies with modest changes that can add up to positive, lifelong eating habits. For instance, if you don't like the taste of skim milk, try low-fat. Eventually you may find you like skim, too.


10. Remember, foods are not good or bad. Select foods based on your total eating patterns, not whether any individual food is "good" or "bad." Don't feel guilty if you love foods such as apple pie, potato chips, candy bars or ice cream. Eat them in moderation, and choose other foods to provide the balance and variety that are vital to good health.

Special credit : http://diet4healthy.blogspot.com/2007/08/10-tips-to-healthy-eating.html

You Are What You Eat: It doesn't get any simpler than water

Each week, we'll be naming a Super Food and offering unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!This week's superfood is not technically a food. It's a beverage. But it's the mightiest of all the beverages out there. It's refreshing, calorie-free, inexpensive ... and essential for life. Are we talking about Diet Coke here? No way. This miracle drink is, of course, water -- you know, that clear stuff that comes out of your tap and is sold in plastic bottles on stores.

Just what makes water so wonderful? You don't need to look much further than your own body for the answer. Your body runs on water -- your blood is 83% water and your muscles are 74% water. In fact, every single cell in your body needs water to function,so it goes without saying that you need water to function. But let's forget that fact for a second and focus on reasons why you should want to drink more water. Water can:

• Increase your energy



• Help you lose weight by curbing appetite without adding extra calories



• Help flush out your body of toxins



• Keep your skin and hair healthy and moisturized



• Help your kidneys function properly



• Help you feel better overall

As for health benefits? Drinking water can help reduce your risk of pretty much any illness under the sun, from cancer to heart disease to urinary tract infections. It can improve everything from your mood to your longevity to your stamina and fitness. Still not convinced? Consider this: You have nothing to lose by drinking more water -- it's inexpensive and calorie-free. There is no other beverage in the world that can boast all of these selling points.

But how much should you get? It's a widespread belief that you should drink at least eight 8-oz glasses a day. That adds up to a whooping 64 oz of water, or roughly about 2L. I'm used to drinking this much so it doesn't bother me, but some can't stomach that much water. If you're one of those people, good news: Research shows that while drinking 64oz of water a day won't hurt you, it's not necessary. As long as you eat plenty of fruits and veggies, drink a fair amount of healthy liquids, eat an overall healthy diet and don't feel dehydrated, you're probably getting enough. Still, downing a big glass every time you have a craving for junk food will do you a world of good.

Not a fan of plain old water? Add a squeeze of lemon, lime or orange to it for a bit of a kick.

Tags: agua, aqua, beverage, calories, h20, hunger, hydrate, hydration, water

special credit for : http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/07/08/you-are-what-you-eat-it-doesnt-get-any-simpler-than-water/

You Are What You Eat ; Goodness Grain

Each week, we'll be naming a Super Food and offering unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

Growing up, my mother always told me whole wheat bread was better than white bread. She could never explain exactly why--it was just one of those things that was. And now, the benefits of whole grains aren't just touted by mothers. Doctors, researchers, nutritionists -- everyone who has a say in the world of healthy living is speaking out about how important whole grains are to your diet.Yes, that's right. I said 'important to your diet.' They're not just better for you than refined grains--they're good for you, if not essential. Consider this: We all know that fruits and veggies are an essential source of vitamins, antioxidants and nutrients. But according to some sources, whole grains provide an equal--if not better--source of some of these nutrients. Whole grains contain phytochemicals, antioxdants, B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, fiber, selenium, potassium and iron. And those who enjoy an average of 2.5 servings of whole grains a day will cut their risk of cardiovascular disease by 21%, according to Science Daily. But it's one thing to know the benefits of whole grains. It's another to actually work them into your diet. What qualifies as a 'whole grain'? Here's a quick guide, according to the Mayo Clinic:

You can get your serving of whole grains from a variety of sources: Cereal, bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, crackers, oatmeal and so on. It's simple to switch to whole wheat, and I guarantee you'll notice a difference. You'll feel fuller longer, you'll have more energy, and you might even shed some inches from your waistline. But be careful -- Food manufacturers will try to trick you into thinking you're eating whole grains when really, you're eating plain, old refined ones. A simple way to know if you're getting whole grains or refined ones? Look at the label. Scan the ingredients, and if the word 'whole' isn't part of the first one on the list, you're not getting whole grains.

Special credit for : http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/07/15/you-are-what-you-eat-goodness-grains/

The way to get flat stomach...wow!!!

Special credit : http://angsuman.taragana.net/archive/5-tips-to-get-a-flat-stomach