| What is eating a healthy diet? A healthy diet | | | | you eat those "forbidden" types of food. |
| should include eating a variety of foods from | | | | |
| the basic food groups. The basic food groups | | | | I live in an area where there is an excellent |
| are: | | | | donut bakery shop. These donuts are fresh out |
| | | | of the oven by 5:30 a.m. and I want to tell |
| Â- Protein (meat, eggs, legumes) | | | | you these things are absolutely delicious. |
| | | | The baker is one man who says he will take |
| Â- Dairy Products | | | | his recipe to the grave, will not even leave |
| | | | it behind for his only daughter, not that I |
| Â- Fruits and Vegetables | | | | wanted the recipe or anything. I was content |
| | | | filling the donuts, stacking them in the |
| Â- Grains (breads and pasta) | | | | shelf, sneaking bites here and there. And the |
| | | | real treat was it was Saturday, the shop was |
| Â- Fats and Sweets | | | | closed on Sunday. Whatever was leftover this |
| | | | day we could all take home at closing. I took |
| It is more difficult than you realize to | | | | 100's of donuts home that year. |
| actually eat a healthy diet. You might end up | | | | |
| eating a whole lot of your favorite foods and | | | | I worked for this donut shop about one year, |
| not enough from one of the other groups just | | | | and had so much fun getting fat and eating |
| because you don't like that particular group | | | | all those forbidden donuts. |
| of food. You might be pressed for time almost | | | | |
| all the time and you are forced to opt for | | | | It was fun while it lasted, but all good |
| convenience over quality when you get hungry. | | | | things seem to have to come to an end quicker |
| | | | than you want them to. |
| You need do some planning in order to really | | | | |
| maintain a healthy eating pattern. It takes | | | | From the time this donut shop opened in my |
| effort to eat the recommended daily | | | | area when I was around 20 years old I wanted |
| allowances from each food group. You will | | | | to work there. I never really could work in |
| need to look closely at what you are eating | | | | this little donut shop because I always had |
| now and then make plans to implement | | | | so much better paying and nicer jobs. There |
| healthier eating habits. | | | | came a day, however, when I transferred into |
| | | | the same town where this little donut shop |
| Keeping a food diary of everything you eat | | | | was and it was easier for me to at least work |
| and drink for one week should be sufficient | | | | part-time there. |
| enough to tell you if you are on the right | | | | |
| track or if you need to make some changes. | | | | It was a Saturday morning job. I did not mind |
| | | | getting up at 3:00 a.m. to be there by 5:00 |
| For example, add a yogurt as a snack if you | | | | a.m. on Saturday morning because I knew first |
| find you are not meeting your daily | | | | thing I was going to make the coffee and |
| requirement for milk servings. Add some | | | | start sampling those delicious donuts. It was |
| strawberries or other berries (berry fruit is | | | | a very personal treat and reward for me for |
| better because they contain more | | | | about a year. I only earned about $50 on this |
| antioxidants) to your cereal to obtain an | | | | day. The treat was seeing how those donuts |
| extra serving of fruit. An 8 ounce glass of | | | | were prepared "in person" and getting to |
| orange juice everyday can serve as another | | | | sample all of them. Boy did I have a good |
| serving. An 8 ounce glass of cranberry juice | | | | time in that job! I still want to go back to |
| everyday can serve as another serving. I | | | | that Saturday morning job. I just still have |
| can't stand tomato juice, but if you can | | | | other things more interesting to do and Lord |
| stand it, a small can of tomato juice serves | | | | knows at age 50 now I don't need the extra |
| as one vegetable serving. If you are pressed | | | | fat, sugar and calories. |
| for time, adding these quick and easy items | | | | |
| to your daily routine can help you meet the | | | | It would be too much of a temptation to |
| daily requirements for each food group. | | | | overeat again and probably really get myself |
| | | | in trouble. I did end up with teeth that hurt |
| The new dietary guidelines recommend 2 cups | | | | more during that year I worked and ate at the |
| of fruit and 2 and /2 cups of vegetables per | | | | Donut shop! I told my dentist, well the |
| day. You ought to be able to meet that | | | | reason might just be this donut shop I been |
| requirement fairly easily. | | | | working at every Saturday.......Food is one |
| | | | of life's great pleasures. |
| Set a weekly goal for yourself and continue | | | | |
| to maintain your food diary. Weekly goals | | | | In conclusion here, you can make simple |
| could be as simple as to order a salad for | | | | enough changes to your daily diet to meet the |
| lunch instead of your regular French fries, | | | | requirements for a healthy eating pattern. |
| or to bring a favorite flavor of yogurt to | | | | That donut shop had the biggest, roundest, |
| work every day. | | | | cinnamon rolls I ever saw.............and |
| | | | blueberry cake donuts just would melt in your |
| Once you begin to really think about your | | | | mouth......... |
| diet, keep the diary, make changes where | | | | |
| necessary it begins to get easier to meet the | | | | Anyway, I am really on a personal journey now |
| new daily recommended requirements for a | | | | to turn myself around and eat healthier. You |
| healthy diet. | | | | can do it too! |
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| A special note for those of us who have a | | | | This article is FREE to publish with the |
| sweet tooth is just simply limit how often | | | | resource box. |