Becoming A Healthy Eater

Being a healthy eater requires you to become both educated and smart about what healthy eating actually is. Being food smart isn’t about learning to calculate grams or fat, or is it about studying labels and counting calories. Healthy eating is all about balanced and moderate eating, consisting of healthy meals at least three times per day. Healthy eaters eat many different types of foods, not limiting themselves to one specific food type or food group. Eating healthy requires quite a bit of leeway. You might eat too much or not enough, consume foods that are sometimes more or less nutritious. However, you should always fuel your body and your brain regularly with enough food to keep both your mind and body strong and alert. A healthy eater is a good problem solver. Healthy eaters have learned to take care of themselves and their eating with sound judgement and making wise decisions. Healthy eaters are always aware of what they eat, and know the effect that it will have on their bodies. When someone is unable to take control of their eating, they are also likely to get out of control with other aspects of life as well. They could end up spending too much, talking too much, even going to bed later and later. You should always remember that restricting food in any way is always a bad thing. Healthy eating is a way of life, something that you can do to enhance your body or your lifestyle. If you’ve thought about making your life better, healthy eating is just the place to start. You’ll make life easier for yourself, those around you, and even your family.

Cooking with Oils

Everyone knows the foods to eat that improve health,
although how we cook the food can be just as important.
With there being so many oils and butter products
claiming to be the best, it can be quite difficult
to know which ones to use and which ones to avoid.

1.  Canola oil
Canola oil is a popular oil, with many physicians
claiming that it has the ability to lower the risk
of heart disease.  The oil is low in saturated fat,
high in monounsaturated fat, and offers the best
fatty acid composition when compared to other oils.

You can use canola oil in sauting, as a marinade
and even in low temperature stir frying.  It has
a bland flavor, which makes it a great oil for foods
that contain many spices.  Unlike other oils, this
one won’t interfere with the taste of your meal.

2.  Olive oil
olive oil offers a very distinct flavor with plenty
of heart healthy ingedients.  The oil is rich in
monounsaturated fat, helps to lower cholesterol
levels and reduce risk of cancer.  It’s also rich
in antioxidants and has a very long storage life.

Even though it can be used in cooking, it’s the
healthiest when uncooked, such as with a salad or
dipping sauce.  When you use it with cooking, you
should heat it on low to medium temperatures, making
sure to avoid high heat.

3.  Butter
Butter is one food that has been around for many,
many years.  Butter tastes good, and offers sources
of Vitamin A and other fat soluble vitamins such as
E, K, and even D.  Butter is also made from natural
ingredients and not chemically or artificially
processed.

You can use butter with cooking, baking, or even as
a spread.  You can also pair it with creamy sauces,
marinades, baked dishes, or even bread.

4.  Margarine
Margarine was first introduced as an alternative to
high fat butter.  When it was first created however,
it was loaded with trans fat, a substance that we
now know raises bad cholesterol.

As a cooking oil, margarine tastes good, it’s lower
in fat than most oils and butter, and it’s quite
easy to spread.  It’s available in a variety of
different products and a good source of vitamin E.

When it comes to cooking with oils, there are
several at your disposal.  There are many more than
what is mentioned here, although the ones above are
the most popular.  Eating healthy involves cooking
healthy food – which is where your cooking oil really
takes center stage.

Changing How You Eat

As you may know, not fueling up with the right
nutrients can affect how well your body performs
and your overall fitness benefits.  Even though
healthy eating is important, there are myths that
hinder your performance if you listen to them.

Below, you’ll find some myth busters on healthy
eating.

1.  Working out on an empty stomach.
If you hear a rumbling noise in your stomach, the
rumbling is trying to tell you something.  Without
listening to them, you are forcing your body to
run without any fuel.  Before you exercise or do
any physical activity, always eat a light snack
such as an apple.

2.  Relying on energy bars and drinks.
Although they are fine every once in a while, they
don’t deliver the antioxidants you need to prevent
cancer.  Fruits and vegetables are your best bets,
as they are loaded in vitamins, minerals, fluid,
and fiber.

3.  Skipping breakfast.
Skipping breakfast is never a good idea, as
breakfast starts the day.  Your body needs fuel
as soon as possible, and without it, you’ll be
hungry throughout the day.

4.  Low carb diets.
Your body needs carbohydrates for your muscles and
the storing of energy.

5.  Eating what you want.
Eating healthy and exercising doesn’t give you an
all access pass to eat anything you want.  Everyone
needs the same nutrients whether they exercise or
not, as well as fruits and vegetables.

6.  Not enough calories
Although losing weight involves calories, losing
it too quickly is never safe.  What you should do,
is aim for 1 – 2 pounds a week.  Always make sure
that you are getting enough calories to keep your
body operating smoothly.  If you start dropping
weight too fast, eat a bit more food.

7.  Skip soda and alcohol.
Water, milk, and juice is the best to drink for
active people.  You should drink often, and not
require on thirst to be an indicator.  By the time
you get thirsty, your body is already running a
bit too low.

Changing how you eatis always a great step
towards healthy eating and it will affect how your
body performs.  The healthier you eat, you better
you’ll feel.  No matter how old you may be, healthy
eating is something you should strive for.  Once
you give it a chance, you’ll see in no time at
all just how much it can change your life – for the
better.

Eating For A Healthy Heart

Bad cholesterol or a bad diet is something we all
experience at some point in time.  It’s impossible
to eat healthy our whole lives, even though we may
try hard to do it.  Eating healthy for your heart
is something everyone should try to do, especially
when it comes to restoring health and reducing
heart attacks.

Your heart and food
We know these things for sure – a diet high in
saturated fats will help raise your cholesterol,
which is a risk factor for heart disease.  People
that are obese are more prone to heart disease.  A
diet high in sodium may elevate your blood pressure,
leading to inflammation and even heart disease.

To help prevent heart disease and improve your health,
put the tips below to good use.

Eat plenty of fish
Herring, sardines, and salmon are all excellent sources
of Omega 3 essential fatty acids.  Other fish are great
to, although Omega 3 may help to get your cholesterol
down to a healthier level.

Choosing healthy fats and oils
Saturated fat will increase the risk of heart disease.
It’s found in meat, butter, and even coconut oil.  You
should avoid them until your cholesterol levels are
down and you are at a healthy weight.  Even those
that love red meats can enjoy seafood and nuts for
their main sources of protein.

Monounsaturated fats such as olive oils will help
you to protect your heart.  Olive oil is an ideal
choice for cooking, dressing, or even as a dipping
sauce.

Plenty of fiber
Fiber can help you control your cholesterol.  You
can find fiber in whole grain products to help
control sugar absorption as well, which will help
you keep your digestive system healthy.

Choosing carbohydrates
Eating for your heart involves staying away from
sugary foods such as candy, cookies, cakes, and
pastries.  Eating a lot of sugar isn’t good for
your heart disease at all.  Healthy carbohydrates
involve whole grain breads, whole grain pasta, brown
rice, and a lot of vegetables.  You should make
fruits and vegetables the main aspect of your diet.

Healthy cooking methods
Stir frying and sauteing with olive oil or canola
oil are both great methods, as you shouldn’t dip
your food in batter and fry it anymore.  If you
cook chicken, remove the skin and bake it in the
oven in foil.

Instead of frying your fish you should always bake
it.  Steaming your vegetables can help maintain the
most nutrients.  You should use cream sauces or lots
of butter anymore either.  When you eat vegetables,
try squeezing lemon juice on them or using your
favorite seasonings.

As you make the proper changes to your diet, keep in
mind that it takes time for them to become habits.
Eating healthy is always great for your body and your
lifestyle, especially when it comes to your heart and
the prevention of heart disease.

Eating Healthy During Pregnancy

Starting off your with a healthy well
balanced diet is the best thing you do for yourself
and your baby.  This way, you’ll only need to make
a few adjustments during your pregnancy.

Your first trimester
If you find it tough to maintain a balanced diet
during your first trimester, you can rest assured
that your not alone.  Due to queasiness, some
women will eat all of the time and gain a lot of
weight in the process.  Other women have trouble
getting food down and subsequently lose weight.

Preventing malnutrition and dehydration are your
most important factors during first trimester.

Calories
When you are pregnant, you need to consume around
300 calories more than usual every day.  The best
way to go about doing this is listening to your
body when you are hungry.  You should try to eat
as many foods as possible from the bottom of the
food pyramid.

If you gain weight too slow, try eating small
meals and slightly increase the fat in your diet.
You should always eat when you are hungry, as you
are now eating for 2 instead of one.

Calcium
By the second trimester, you’ll need around 1,500
milligrams of calcium each day for your bones and
your baby’, which is more than a quart of milk.
Calcium is something that’s missing from many
diets.  Along with milk, other great sources for
calcium include dairy products, calcium fortified
juices, and even calcium tablets.

Fiber
Fiber can help to prevent constipation, which is
a common pregnancy problem.  You can find fiber in
whole grains, fruits, and even vegetables.  Fiber
supplements such as Metamucil and Citrucel are
safe to take during pregnancy.

Protein
Unless you happen to be a strict vegetarian, your
protein intake is not normally a problem for women
who eat a healthy diet.

Iron
A lot of women will start their pregnancy off with
a bit of iron deficiency.  Good sources of iron
include dark leafy green vegetables and meats.  Iron
supplements should be avoided, as they can cause
internal symptoms such as cramping, constipation,
or diarrhea.

Vitamins
Seeing as how you get a majority of the vitamins you
need in your diet, you may want to discuss prenatal
vitamins with your doctor.  Folate is one of the most
important, and if you are getting enough of it, you
may be able to avoid vitamins all together – just ask
your doctor to make sure.