nutrition facts

If you’re currently not eating a healthy diet
it can be difficult to start such a plan. However
healthy eating along with some exercise is very important for maintaining a good bodily function and goes a long way towards living a disease-free life. If you struggle with healthy eating
then you know that breaking unhealthy habits can be the most difficult part of the process. Therefore
if you truly want to live the best lifestyle possible
it is important to follow tips in order to start eating a more healthy diet.

A great first step when you want to start eating your way to a healthy life style is to rid your home of all temptations that will distract you from following better eating habits. Ideally it would be a wise course to keep junk foods and beverages out of your house so as not be tempted to snack during the day. If you’re worried about getting hungry
keep healthy snacks like carrot sticks
yogurt
fresh fruit
or whole-wheat crackers on hand. If you find that you just cannot bear to toss out the sweets
try keeping something tiny on hand
peppermints or barley sugar. Eating a few
(emphasis on few) of these won’t ruin your diet but also will give you that little sugary fix you rave.

Another great step to healthy eating
when you’re first starting the process
is to take a few moments to learn what foods are the healthiest for you and how they work within the body. To start eating healthily we must begin by thinking healthily. Most people understand that fruits
vegetables
and low-fat meats and dairy products are good for you
but few people understand why. The key is learning about nutrients. When you understand how specific nutrients work and why you need them
it becomes more reasonable for you to make healthier choices for your body. Knowledge really is power!

Preparation is a major key in commencing a new healthy diet. You must take into consideration your schedule for meals. If you often eat in a rushed hurry at odd times of day
you probably more inclined to grab a rushed meal which will probably do more harm than good. So plan ahead! Instead of grabbing a fast food lunch on the go
take a bagged lunch to work
complete with a healthy wrap and some fresh fruit and vegetables. Remember not to forget your evening meal
a simple plan to have a meal ready before you get home would be perfect
but in our fast paced life style
sometimes this just can’t be done. One way to solve this problem is to plan out your evening meals for the week
on your days off. Perhaps just before you do your weekly shopping. Another warning: when going to the shops
do not venture their hungry because if you're anything like me
one or two chocolate bars won’t hurt! That becomes the first break in your healthy eating.

Initially many will find it very difficult to make those necessary changes to healthier eating. Along with the difficulty of change
you may not feel well for a short period of time. Usually this is normal as your body is adjusting to your new and improved life style and is cleansing itself from the unhealthy toxins built up from poor eating habits. However if this feeling continues or you are worried a visit to your doctor would be the correct thing to do.

Start with baby steps. Even if you only replace one soda a day with a glass of water
you are really improving your calorie intake. If you eat fast food every day for lunch
try replacing that half of the time with better quality foods. When you start by taking small steps you aren’t cutting out all of the foods you love all at once. By taking your time to learn about your eating habits and slowly replacing them with better meals
by taking the time to learn and understand why you should be doing that and making the necessary changes in an orderly fashion
you will feel much better within yourself physically
mentally and emotionally and well on the road to becoming as healthy as you can be

The new food guidelines issued by the United States government recommend that all Americans eat between five and nine servings of fruits and vegetables each and every day. When you first hear that number
it may seem like a lot
but it is actually much easier than you think to fit that many servings of fruits and vegetables into your daily diet. For one thing
the shelves of the grocery stores are fairly bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition
vegetables and fruits are some of the least expensive
most nutrient rich
foods in the supermarket. With all these fruits and vegetables to choose from
it is very easy to make these nutritious
delicious foods part of your daily meals and snacks.

When you take into account how much a serving really is
it is actually quite easy to get five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day. For instance
the recommended daily amount actually equates to a quite reasonable two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables every day. When you consider how many fruits and vegetables are available
and how low the prices usually are
it is easy to see how easy to reach this daily goal really is.

One great way to get the nutrients you need from fruits and vegetables every day is to take full advantage of the variety of these foods available. Eating the same thing every day quickly becomes boring
so why not pick a variety of fruits and vegetables
in every color of the rainbow and in every conceivable shape
size and texture
to give yourself a varied diet every day.

When shopping for fruits and vegetables
it is important to choose a variety of different colors. This is for more than purely artistic reasons. Different color fruits and vegetables have different types of nutrients
and choosing a variety of colors will help ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need each and every day.

Finding new recipes is another great way to ensure you get those five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Everyone likes to try out new recipes
and these new recipes may just provide the impetus you need to eat all those fruits and veggies.

New recipes can also provide you the important opportunity to try out some fruits and vegetables you have never tried before. For instance
everyone has eaten oranges
but have you tried kiwi fruit or mangoes? How about spinach or kale? Trying new things is a great way to find new favorites while getting the best nutrition available.

Many people mistakenly think that they do not need to eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day if they just take a vitamin supplement. Actually
nothing could be further from the truth. That is because fruits and vegetables contain far more than the micronutrients identified by science and synthesized in vitamin pills. While these micronutrients
such as vitamin C
vitamin A and vitamin E are important to good health
so too are the hundreds of other elements that are contained in healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. These elements are not available in any pill
they must be ingested through a healthy
balanced diet that contains plenty of fruits and vegetables.

In addition
fruits and vegetables are much less costly than vitamin pills. Fruits and vegetables are very inexpensive
especially when purchased in season and grown locally. In the long run
getting the nutrition you need from the food you eat is much less expensive
and much better for you
than popping those vitamin pills every day.

So don’t forget to get your five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day. It may seem like a lot
but you can meet this quite reasonable goal simply by including fruits and vegetables as snacks
as garnishes
as side dishes and as meals.

I have been doing push-ups five days a week for over 25 years. My arms are pretty strong but it did not happen overnight. I did not do push-ups for a couple weeks or months and then stopped. I had to make push-ups a habit if I wanted to continuously get the results I have.

Exactly the same holds true with healthy eating. You will never be healthy
eating healthy foods occasionally. You have to make healthy eating a habit if you want to obtain nutritional health. People jump on the “band wagon” of healthy eating when they read books or view websites that talk about nutrition. While many of these books and websites tell you what you should eat in-order to be healthy
they fail to teach you how to make healthy eating a habit. Thus in a short period of time when temptations come
people fall right back into their old unhealthy eating habits.

What is a Habit? According to Webster's dictionary a habit is “a behavior pattern acquired by frequent repetition or physiologic exposure that shows itself in regularity or increased facility of performance.”

Can you see that if we simply apply this principle to healthy eating we will be on our way to vibrant health?

Bad Eating Habits:

Bad eating habits do not develop overnight. For most people these habits began forming when they were kids. Thus one reason why many adults have a hard time breaking their bad eating habits is because these habits have been a part of their lifestyle for many years.

Why Do We Eat Food?

There are two main reasons why we eat food. One is to supply fuel for our body. The other reason is for pleasure. Unfortunately some of the foods that gives us pleasure are unhealthy.

Most people make their food selections based on what they see
smell or taste. Look at these three sentences: That pie sure looks good! That pie sure smells good! That pie sure taste good!

Notice that all three statements involve food and pleasure. However the food that is producing the pleasure (in this situation the pie) may or may not be good for you from a nutritional standpoint. That is why we need to be wise in our food selections and not simply leave it up to our sense of sight
taste or smell.

Eating Healthy Can Be Enjoyable:

Some people think of eating healthy as being boring and tasteless. I think that one reason they feel this way is because most of the commercial ads we see promote foods high in calories
fat
or sugar and only a small percentage of food advertising is done for fruits
vegetables
grains and beans. Thus if there was more nutritional education
more and more people would find eating healthy to be pleasurable and tasty.

How Healthy Eating Habits Changed My Life:

In 1998 my wife finally talked me into going to the doctor to get a check-up. I was not feeling sick but she clearly said that it was a good idea to get a yearly physical examination. Thank God I listened to her.

I have been athletic all my life. I run 18 miles a week. So when I went to the doctor I was not expecting to hear the bad news he gave me. He told me I had borderline diabetes.

Diabetes can be very dangerous if not treated. It is one of the leading cause of death in the United States. It is a disease of the pancreas that causes the body to stop producing the insulin it needs to regulate blood sugar.

My doctor told me that I did not need to be put on medication
however he suggested I start reading some books on healthy eating. That was the beginning of my path to healthy eating habits that turned my health situation around. Today I can honestly say that I am in excellent health. I feel great
I sleep great
people tell me that I do not look my age
I maintain a healthy weight
I do not take any type of medication
my blood pressure is normal
my blood sugar is normal
my cholesterol is normal
my immune system is strong
and the list goes on.

It is great to be in good health and I thank God for it. However I do not believe that I am healthy because of chance. I strongly believe that one main reason that I am healthy is because I take personal responsibility for my health. Making healthy eating a habit is a great part of this responsibility. Our physical bodies have laws that are governed by proper nutrition. If we violate these laws by consistently eating unhealthy foods
we are going to get sick.

Sticking to a nutritious diet while traveling can be one of the more difficult things to do. However
if you learn how to make smart choices
a healthy diet is really not that difficult. It’s probably not the best time in which to start a healthy diet
but if you are currently making healthy choices in your foods already
modifying your diet slightly to accommodate travel
is not as difficult as it first may seem.

If you are traveling by airplane
your diet may have to include airplane food
which can often be of poor nutritional value
depending on the selection. When you book your flight
ask about your food options
ask if a vegetarian dish is available? Vegetarian dishes are sometimes more nutritional in this case
but it really depends on what they may be serving. If you can
eat a larger meal before your flight
so that you don’t have to eat the entire meal that is served
to feel full.

When driving or taking a bus
you may be tempted to stop at fast food restaurants and eat the meals found there. Avoid this whenever possible! If you’re on vacation
you may wish to splurge a tiny bit
but having fast food more than once during a week can really be bad for your health. If you must
choose the healthiest options available
like chicken breasts and diet soda.

Also
remember that you can take your own meals when traveling. Carrying a loaf of whole-wheat bread or pita wraps
some lean lunchmeat
and low-fat cheese in a cooler is a great way to avoid high-fat and high-cholesterol junk food meals. These are much better choices and you’ll save a lot of money as well. Call ahead to ask if there will be a refrigerator in your hotel room.

Lastly
make smart choices when you eat out. If you choose salads or pasta get the dressing on the side and ask about low-carb options. In fact
many places print these dieting options directly in the menu for the health-conscious people. Control your portions by ordering lunch menu sizes or splitting the meal in have and getting a doggie bag
and you’ll be well on your way to healthy eating
even away from home.

Yes
eating healthy foods when you travel can be a challenge. However
your health is worth it. Eating meals high in nutrition will also assist in fighting illnesses that you are likely to encounter when traveling and you will find yourself more alert so that you can enjoy your trip.