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How To Eat A Healthy Diet

By: Jeni Carr

Break Studios Contributing Writer

Learn how to eat a healthy diet with these guidelines. By eating a healthy diet you can try to avoid Cancer and other dreaded diseases. You do not have to be a Vegan, but learning to be more of a Vegetarian just may save your life. Enjoy eating a healthy diet with some wonderful recipes that taste good too.

  1. Eliminate the White’s. To be on a healthy diet you must give up sugar, white rice and white enriched flours. Some will tell you to avoid white potatoes also, but potatoes are the lesser of evil of the above mentioned foods. Try substituting whole grains and brown rice and honey for the white food group that needs to be avoided.
  2. Slow Withdrawal is Better. In order to be on a healthy diet for life, try withdrawing slowly from the “offenders.” One week, withdraw from sugar and then the next week withdraw from the rice.  Don’t deprive yourself of something you are craving desperately. Having a small bite or two just may save you from breaking your diet.
  3. Fruits and Veggies. Most would think that fruits and veggies could be eaten continuously, but that just is not true. Some high sugar fruits, such as mangoes and bananas should be limited.  Avocados are a good source of oil but should be limited to one every other day and carrots also are high in sugar. So if you have to snack, do eat fruits and veggies, but within reason.
  4. Whole Grains. Both men and women need fiber to keep the body regular and the American Heart Association suggests that you need between 25 to 35 grams in fiber per day. This fiber can be obtained from fruits, veggies, legumes and whole grains.
  5. Protein. Red meat is bad for you and that it should be limited greatly to one portion a week and the serving should be no bigger than the size of your fist. Processed meats should be avoided totally as they have been proven to cause cancer. The better alternatives to red meat is poultry, turkey and fish and those should be greatly limited also. You can get protein from nuts, eggs, beans, peas and seeds.  
  6. Cut out the Bad Oils. Both olive oil and coconut oil are good oils, but should be limited also.  One cup of extra virgin olive oil has 2000 calories. A heart diet should contain no more than 30 percent of good fat per day. In order to follow a healthy diet eliminate all trans fats and never consume more than 7% in saturated fats per day.
  7. Salt Limitations. Limit your salt to no more than 1500 mg per day. That is approximately 3/4 teaspoon. According to most heart doctors this reduction in salt from the normally recommended 2000 mg will help avoid and treat cardiovascular and high blood pressure problems. A healthy diet consist of using sea salt only.
  8. Alcohol is Not Part of a Healthy Diet.  Although many swear that organic wine is acceptable, alcohol can lead to many health problems. Women should not have more than one glass of wine or alcohol a day and men can have the maximum of two. It is best though that all forms of alcohol would eventually be eliminated.
  9. Downsize Your Plate and Portion Size. Try eating in a nine inch plate and cut your portions in half, except for the vegetables being served. If you are having rice, don’t eat bread.  If you have potatoes, then don’t eat rice. Simple common sense guidelines will teach you how to eat a healthy diet.
  10. Water and Herbal Teas. Drink at least six to eight glasses of water a day. Have as many herbal teas as you like also, but watch the honey being consumed. Although honey is an alternative, it is still a sugar.
  11. Exercise. No healthy diet would be complete with out a good exercise program. Walking 30 minutes a day or jumping on a rebounder are some of the best exercises available to keep your heart in the best shape. Rebounding does a body good.
Posted on: Aug. 20, 2010