More things we are doing for a Healthier Lifestyle

Eating and drinking tips

1. Focus on fruits and veggies. The high water and fiber content in many fruits and vegetables make them great candidates for healthy snacking and incorporation into meals. Try adding veggies to your favorite main courses (made from lean meats and whole grains) to make your dish “go” further. In addition, the vitamins and nutrients in fruits and vegetables can help your overall health and vitality. You may have seen these choppers advertised on T.V. That is great ideas for adding fruits and veggies to foods like casseroles, pizzas, etc that normally don’t have veggies as part of the meal.
2. Give up added sugars, and refined sugars like sweets, deserts, candies, and soda. I have given up sweets for 90 days to allow my body to adjust to the habit of going without sweets again. I believe it is better to eat raw sugar than to eat artificial sweeteners (and I’ll get into that later).
3. Give up fried foods, this was easy for me as I rarely eat fried foods anyway; but I do realize this could be a big obstacle for some. Healthy oil is good for our bodies and we need healthy fats in our system. A chemical change happens to oil when you heat it to the smoking point, and the oil will lose its healthy properties. Most experts suggest to wet-sauté` foods instead of frying them. Simply layers the bottom of the pan with water, put the food in the pan cook to the desired texture, and add some oil and sauté. Some good oils for cooking are: real butter, peanut oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, sesame oils, and olive oil. We always keep olive oil on hand.
4. Eat more protein. Protein keeps you full longer than carbohydrates. It also takes more energy to metabolize protein than carbohydrates, so you burn more calories after eating it. I am not an advocate for these diets that have you give up carbohydrates. I do believe humans need all the basic food groups for a healthy balance. However, those high protein diets can be good to jumpstart a new program for you.
5. Fill up on fiber. Fiber makes you feel fuller faster, so it’s a great idea to choose foods that are packing a good fiber punch. Fiber will also help digestion, allowing you to process what you eat in a healthier way.
6. Choose “low density” foods. Foods that allow you to eat larger portion sizes with lower calories are considered low density. These foods (including many fruits and vegetables) tend to contain more water and fiber. Try starting your meal with a low-density salad or soup (just watch the dressings and sodium) to help fill you up, so you will eat less of your entrée.
7. Drink lots of water. Not drinking enough water makes your body hold on to the water it has – resulting in extra “water weight.” Thirst can also be confused with hunger, so by drinking water, you may avoid consuming extra calories. I think the cheapest/healthiest way to get water is to buy a water filter for your kitchen faucet. If you are someone who can’t stand plain water, try putting a squeeze of lime in the water, or drink a sparkling mineral water. If the fizz is too much add some regular filtered water to the carbonated water.