| Before we go any further the word diet does not | | | | table but the results are more than worth it! |
| necessarily mean an act of losing weight but a style | | | | I have given you some of the facts concerning a |
| of eating. If you follow a healthy diet you will lose | | | | healthy diet but something that you do not see in |
| weight naturally and you will get into a lifestyle that | | | | many of these weekly diet regimes is a realistic |
| will keep you weight stable. | | | | approach, we are not all at home all the time, we are |
| Every week a "new healthy diet" comes out by | | | | sitting in traffic or having meals in the canteen where |
| some expert and it often appears that there are as | | | | you cannot dictate what is on the menu. |
| many "healthy diets" as there are experts. Taking the | | | | Here are some healthy eating habits to think about |
| cynical viewpoint these experts have only hit the | | | | and to bring into your new healthy eating lifestyle. |
| world with a new regime to sell their latest book, | | | | - Eat a good breakfast. When there isn't time to sit |
| DVD or new line of health food products. OK, | | | | down and enjoy your morning meal, and oats are a |
| everybody has different dietary needs due to their | | | | good choice there, grab some fruit and some juice. |
| body type, metabolism, and genetic makeup but | | | | - If you only viable option is to eat fast foods, |
| there are some basic guidelines that can be followed | | | | choose a pizza with half the cheese, a regular roast |
| to keep to a healthy diet. | | | | beef sandwich, baked potato, or green salad with |
| One of the first steps to a healthy diet is to rid your | | | | reduced calorie dressing. Do not opt for things like |
| body of all the rubbish that is already there. These | | | | fries, fried chicken or fish and remember to use low |
| are the toxins that have built up over time. Well one | | | | calorie dressing and not the regular variety. |
| way of doing this is to go down to your local | | | | - Always have healthy snacks close by to fend off |
| pharmacy and get a pre-packaged detox kit and | | | | sudden hunger attacks. These could be fresh or dried |
| follow that for a specified length of time. Or you | | | | fruit, nuts, rice cakes, whole wheat crackers or raw |
| could buy antioxidants in supplement form. These are | | | | vegetables with low fat yogurt or dip. |
| both workable quick fixes but you really need to | | | | - Eat calcium rich food by including ample amounts of |
| make you diet a lifestyle. | | | | low fat yogurt, low fat cheese, milk and green leafy |
| Antioxidants are abundant in fruit and vegetables and | | | | vegetables in your diet. |
| generally, brightly coloured fruits and vegetables | | | | - If you need to lose weight, do it sensibly. |
| contain the highest levels of antioxidants: for | | | | Remember we are going for lifestyle changes not a |
| example, yellow, orange, and dark green vegetables | | | | quick fix starvation diet. The only safe way to lose |
| and citrus fruits. Now the Catch-22 in this is that you | | | | weight, feel good while doing it, and keep it off is to |
| are better to be eating organic produce so that you | | | | eat a balanced diet. |
| are not introducing more toxins into the body as you | | | | - Reduce you sugar intake, use it sparingly and |
| neutralise the ones that are already there. | | | | consider sweetening coffee, tea, cereal and fruit with |
| Research has shown that children who regularly eat | | | | sweeteners instead. Though sugar provides calories it |
| organic foods have lower levels of toxic chemicals in | | | | supplies few other nutrients and it contributes |
| their bodies than those who only eat conventional | | | | significantly to tooth decay. |
| foods. | | | | - Salad bars sound healthy but they can also be |
| Fruits and vegetables are also high in other vitamins | | | | harmful. By all means go for the leafy greens, raw |
| and minerals. Vitamin C is abundant in strawberries | | | | vegetable and fresh fruit as they are beneficial. But |
| and oranges and this helps to support the immune | | | | the creamy dressing, bacon bits, and mayonnaise |
| system. Carrots and sweet potatoes contain | | | | based salads are not and the calories and fat they |
| beta-carotene, which is important for vision and high | | | | contain may equal or even exceed those of a burger |
| levels of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin K can be | | | | and fries. |
| found in green leafed vegetables to support the | | | | - Reduce or cut alcohol out completely, remember |
| health of our bones and teeth, among other things. | | | | that alcohol supplies calories but has no nutritional |
| Some helpful guidelines to follow: Eat two to four | | | | value. A small beer, a glass of wine, or a shot of |
| pieces of fresh fruit daily, and fill half your plate with | | | | spirits contains about 100 calories. Adding this to the |
| vegetables at any given meal. | | | | associated problems that are linked with drinking |
| A healthy diet program requires planning and lots of | | | | alcohol the benefits can be two-fold. |
| knowledge, both in the supermarket and at the meal | | | | |