Healthy Eating

Confused by all the conflicting nutrition advice out there?

These simple tips can show you how to plan, enjoy, and
stick to a healthy diet.
What is a healthy diet?
Eating a healthy diet is not about strict limitations, staying
unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love.
Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, improving
your health, and boosting your mood.
Healthy eating doesn’t have to be overly complicated. If you feel
overwhelmed by all the conflicting nutrition and diet advice out
there, you’re not alone. It seems that for every expert who tells
you a certain food is good for you, you’ll find another saying
exactly the opposite. The truth is that while some specific foods
or nutrients have been shown to have a beneficial effect on
mood, it’s your overall dietary pattern that is most important.
The cornerstone of a healthy diet should be to replace
processed food with real food whenever possible. Eating food
that is as close as possible to the way nature made it can make
a huge difference to the way you think, look, and feel.
By using these simple tips, you can cut through the confusion
and learn how to create—and stick to—a tasty, varied, and
nutritious diet that is as good for your mind as it is for your body.
The fundamentals of healthy eating
While some extreme diets may suggest otherwise, we all need
a balance of protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and
minerals in our diets to sustain a healthy body. You don’t need
to eliminate certain categories of food from your diet, but rather
select the healthiest options from each category.
Protein gives you the energy to get up and go—and keep going
—while also supporting mood and cognitive function. Too much
protein can be harmful to people with kidney disease, but the
latest research suggests that many of us need more high-
quality protein, especially as we age. That doesn’t mean you
have to eat more animal products—a variety of plant-based
sources of protein each day can ensure your body gets all the
essential protein it needs. Learn more »
Fat. Not all fat is the same. While bad fats can wreck your diet
and increase your risk of certain diseases, good fats protect
your brain and heart. In fact, healthy fats—such as omega-3s—
are vital to your physical and emotional health. Including more
healthy fat in your diet can help improve your mood, boost your
well-being, and even trim your waistline. Learn more »
Fiber. Eating foods high in dietary fiber (grains, fruit,
vegetables, nuts, and beans) can help you stay regular and
lower your risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. It can
also improve your skin and even help you to lose weight. Learn
more »
Calcium. As well as leading to osteoporosis, not getting enough
calcium in your diet can also contribute to anxiety, depression,
and sleep difficulties. Whatever your age or gender, it’s vital to
include calcium-rich foods in your diet, limit those that deplete
calcium, and get enough magnesium and vitamins D and K to
help calcium do its job. Learn more »
Carbohydrates are one of your body’s main sources of energy.
But most should come from complex, unrefined carbs
(vegetables, whole grains, fruit) rather than sugars and refined
carbs. Cutting back on white bread, pastries, starches, and
sugar can prevent rapid spikes in blood sugar, fluctuations in
mood and energy, and a build-up of fat, especially around your
waistline. Learn more »
Making the switch to a healthy diet
Switching to a healthy diet doesn’t have to be an all or nothing
proposition. You don’t have to be perfect, you don’t have to
completely eliminate foods you enjoy, and you don’t have to
change everything all at once—that usually only leads to
cheating or giving up on your new eating plan.
A better approach is to make a few small changes at a time.
Keeping your goals modest can help you achieve more in the
long term without feeling deprived or overwhelmed by a major
diet overhaul. Think of planning a healthy diet as a number of
small, manageable steps—like adding a salad to your diet once
a day. As your small changes become habit, you can continue
to add more healthy choices.
Setting yourself up for success
To set yourself up for success, try to keep things simple. Eating
a healthier diet doesn’t have to be complicated. Instead of being
overly concerned with counting calories, for example, think of
your diet in terms of color, variety, and freshness. Focus on
avoiding packaged and processed foods and opting for more
fresh ingredients whenever possible.
Prepare more of your own meals. Cooking more meals at
home can help you take charge of what you’re eating and better
monitor exactly what goes into your food. You’ll eat fewer
calories and avoid the chemical additives, added sugar, and
unhealthy fats of packaged and takeout foods that can leave
you feeling tired, bloated, and irritable, and exacerbate
symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety.
Make the right changes. When cutting back on unhealthy
foods in your diet, it’s important to replace them with healthy
alternatives. Replacing dangerous trans fats with healthy fats
(such as switching fried chicken for grilled salmon) will make a
positive difference to your health. Switching animal fats for
refined carbohydrates, though (such as switching your
breakfast bacon for a donut), won’t lower your risk for heart
disease or improve your mood.
Read the labels. It’s important to be aware of what’s in your
food as manufacturers often hide large amounts of sugar or
unhealthy fats in packaged food, even food claiming to be
healthy.
Focus on how you feel after eating. This will help foster
healthy new habits and tastes. The healthier the food you eat,
the better you’ll feel after a meal. The more junk food you eat,
the more likely you are to feel uncomfortable, nauseous, or
drained of energy.
Drink plenty of water. Water helps flush our systems of waste
products and toxins, yet many of us go through life dehydrated
—causing tiredness, low energy, and headaches. It’s common
to mistake thirst for hunger, so staying well hydrated will also
help you make healthier food choices.
Moderation: important to any healthy
diet
What is moderation? In essence, it means eating only as much
food as your body needs. You should feel satisfied at the end of
a meal, but not stuffed. For many of us, moderation means
eating less than we do now. But it doesn’t mean eliminating the
foods you love. Eating bacon for breakfast once a week, for
example, could be considered moderation if you follow it with a
healthy lunch and dinner—but not if you follow it with a box of
donuts and a sausage pizza.
Try not to think of certain foods as “off-limits.” When you
ban certain foods, it’s natural to want those foods more, and
then feel like a failure if you give in to temptation. Start by
reducing portion sizes of unhealthy foods and not eating them
as often. As you reduce your intake of unhealthy foods, you
may find yourself craving them less or thinking of them as only
occasional indulgences.
Think smaller portions. Serving sizes have ballooned recently.
When dining out, choose a starter instead of an entree, split a
dish with a friend, and don’t order supersized anything. At
home, visual cues can help with portion sizes. Your serving of
meat, fish, or chicken should be the size of a deck of cards and
half a cup of mashed potato, rice, or pasta is about the size of a
traditional light bulb. By serving your meals on smaller plates or
in bowls, you can trick your brain into thinking it’s a larger
portion. If you don’t feel satisfied at the end of a meal, add more
leafy greens or round off the meal with fruit.
Take your time. It’s important to slow down and think about
food as nourishment rather than just something to gulp down in
between meetings or on the way to pick up the kids. It actually
takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has
had enough food, so eat slowly and stop eating before you feel
full.
Eat with others whenever possible. Eating alone, especially
in front of the TV or computer, often leads to mindless
overeating.
Limit snack foods in the home. Be careful about the foods
you keep at hand. It’s more challenging to eat in moderation if
you have unhealthy snacks and treats at the ready. Instead,
surround yourself with healthy choices and when you’re ready
to reward yourself with a special treat, go out and get it then.
Control emotional eating. We don’t always eat just to satisfy
hunger. Many of us also turn to food to relieve stress or cope
with unpleasant emotions such as sadness, loneliness, or
boredom. But by learning healthier ways to manage stress and
emotions, you can regain control over the food you eat and your
feelings.
It’s not just what you eat, but when you eat
Eat breakfast, and eat smaller meals throughout the day. A
healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, while eating
small, healthy meals keeps your energy up all day.
Avoid eating late at night. Try to eat dinner earlier and fast for
14-16 hours until breakfast the next morning. Studies suggest
that eating only when you’re most active and giving your
digestive system a long break each day may help to regulate
weight.
Add more fruit and vegetables to your
diet
Fruit and vegetables are low in calories and nutrient dense,
which means they are packed with vitamins, minerals,
antioxidants, and fiber. Focus on eating the recommended daily
amount of at least five servings of fruit and vegetables and it
will naturally fill you up and help you cut back on unhealthy
foods. A serving is half a cup of raw fruit or veg or a small apple
or banana, for example. Most of us need to double the amount
we currently eat.
To increase your intake:
• Add antioxidant-rich berries to your favorite breakfast
cereal
• Eat a medley of sweet fruit—oranges, mangos, pineapple,
grapes—for dessert
• Swap your usual rice or pasta side dish for a colorful salad
• Instead of eating processed snack foods, snack on
vegetables such as carrots, snow peas, or cherry tomatoes
along with a spicy hummus dip or peanut butter
How to make vegetables tasty
While plain salads and steamed veggies can quickly become
bland, there are plenty of ways to add taste to your vegetable
dishes.
Add color. Not only do brighter, deeper colored vegetables
contain higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals and
antioxidants, but they can vary the flavor and make meals more
visually appealing. Add color using fresh or sundried tomatoes,
glazed carrots or beets, roasted red cabbage wedges, yellow
squash, or sweet, colorful peppers.
Liven up salad greens. Branch out beyond lettuce. Kale,
arugula, spinach, mustard greens, broccoli, and Chinese
cabbage are all packed with nutrients. To add flavor to your
salad greens, try drizzling with olive oil, adding a spicy dressing,
or sprinkling with almond slices, chickpeas, a little bacon,
parmesan, or goat cheese.
Satisfy your sweet tooth. Naturally sweet vegetables—such
as carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, yams, onions, bell peppers,
and squash—add sweetness to your meals and reduce your
cravings for added sugar. Add them to soups, stews, or pasta
sauces for a satisfying sweet kick.
Cook green beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and
asparagus in new ways. Instead of boiling or steaming these
healthy sides, try grilling, roasting, or pan frying them with chili
flakes, garlic, shallots, mushrooms, or onion. Or marinate in
tangy lemon or lime before cooking.