Eight Easy Healthy Eating Tips

Okay, this is the time of year I start to stress just a bit. Because I DO NOT want to do that dance come New Years... where I pack on a few extra and then have to burn it off. If you can remember to stick to these 8 simple healthy eating tips. Especially during the holiday cheer, then you just might end up being ahead of the game come January 1st... or 2nd. Start planning now EVERYONE.

Healthy Eating Tip # 1:

Keep Track of What You Eat - Initially, you may find it helpful to write down what you eat each day to see where there's room for improvement. You may not realize how many wasted calories you consume on a daily basis (sugary sodas, butter, salad dressing, etc). When you eliminate the wasted calories, you create room for more food in your diet! 100 calories from butter does nothing to make you feel full. 100 calories from a serving of vegetables or protein will.




Healthy Eating Tip # 2:

Control Your Portion Sizes - Learn to visualize the recommended portions of each food group. For example, 3 ounces of meat is about the size of a small bar of soap or a deck of cards. Half a cup of pasta, rice or potatoes is about the size of a baseball. Make a habit of reading package labels so that you know what a single portion is. Try scaling back on high fat condiments by cutting your normal portion in half (butter, sour cream, salad dressing, mayonnaise, etc.).

Healthy Eating Tip # 3:

Eat Frequently & Snack Wisely - Don't skip meals, especially breakfast! If you're too busy to make breakfast, a Muscle Memory protein shake is a fast and easy option. Plan ahead how frequently you're going to eat and make sure to have healthy snacks on hand. If you don't allow for snacks, you may end up overeating at your next meal. Healthy snacks include whole-grain crackers, fruits, vegetables, small portions of nuts and seeds and low-fat dairy products.

Healthy Eating Tip # 4:

Introduce Variety Into Your Diet - Eating healthy will be very boring if you're not open to trying new types of foods. One of the best ways to eliminate fat in your cooking is to use more herbs and spices. Never tried curry? Don't know what to do with a jalapeno? The world of interesting food awaits you! Try something new tonight. Check out some of my favorite recipes now!

Healthy Eating Tip # 5:

Know Your Weaknesses - Life would barely be worth living if I didn't have ice cream once in awhile. That doesn't mean I'm going to keep it around the house. If you have no willpower and cookies are your weakness, don't buy them at the grocery store. If you don't buy the bag of cookies, you won't have the opportunity to eat them. Sounds simple, huh?

Healthy Eating Tip # 6:

Exercise - People always say, "working out makes me hungry." That's a good thing. Your body needs fuel to become and stay healthy. As you increase your physical activity, you'll not only feel better, you'll want to take better care of yourself. The food and lifestyle choices you make will get easier and clearer as you commit to frequent physical activity.

Healthy Eating Tip # 7:

Make Changes Gradually Over Time - Don't go from eating Whoppers every day to eating nothing but brown rice and chicken breasts. Incorporate healthier options over time and you will eventually develop new habits.

Healthy Eating Tip # 8:

Learn To Cook - If you rely on restaurants to feed you, you will always be at the mercy of what other people think you should eat. Preparing healthy meals doesn't have to be complicated. There are a ton of resources to help you learn the basics.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Brandon_Johnsonn/127102

Diet Smoothies - Lose Weight the Healthy Way

It is very important to eat the right way when implementing a diet program. This is the difference between long term weight loss achievement and failure. Diet smoothies are an excellent way to provide your body with the nutrients that it needs while enjoying a delicious drink. Here are some tips to follow with diet smoothies and achieving your weight loss goals.

Starving should never be a weight loss tool. It is important to make the right food and snack choices.

The following are some of the reasons that diet smoothies are great for dieters to incorporate into their diet regimens;

1. Fruits and Vegetables 

Smoothies are made using fruits, vegetables and natural sweeteners. There are several varieties of natural sweeteners that you can get at natural food stores. Because they incorporate several varieties of fruits, they are delicious without adding extra calories that will ruin your diet. You may also use honey as a natural sweetener while making the smoothie.




2. Meal Replacement

Smoothies can be used as meal replacements. After my morning workout, I usually enjoy a filling smoothie for my breakfast. It can also replace lunch or dinner. A smoothie is a great way to ensure that you do not overeat while fulfilling all your daily nutritional needs.

If you are worried about missing out on protein, you can add tofu or other nutritional supplements such as protein powder to the smoothie.

3. Fiber

Be sure to use the entire fruits and vegetables when making your smoothie because you will be consuming the pulp of the fruit or the vegetable which is an excellent source of fiber for your body.

Making sure that you consume fiber in your diet is important since fiber makes you feel full in addition to helping with the digestion process and supporting the elimination of the body's waste.

By making smoothies using the entire fruits and vegetables, this ensures that you eat more fiber than you normally would if you were to eat the fruit or vegetable by itself since you may end up discarding much of the fiber rich parts of the fruits and vegetables.

4. Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day as this helps you kick start the body's metabolism. Do not skip this meal if you want to ensure success with your diet program. Breakfast smoothies which I make every morning, are a great way to make sure that you implement this "no skipping breakfast" rule. Breakfast smoothies work even if you are in a hurry. It usually takes me less than two minutes to prepare this and hit the road!

5. Variety of Smoothies

Because variety is very important in any diet program, incorporating smoothies into the program serves this purpose since there are many varieties of smoothies you can make using a diverse amount of ingredients. Being able to enjoy a variety of flavors is key to staying satisfied and committed to the program.

As you can see, making smoothies a part of your diet and daily routine is one of the best choices you can make to help you meet and maintain your diet goals.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jenny_Mays/620157