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 No worries. Any day is a good day to launch healthier eating
habits. Ellen Roth, a registered dietitian with Abraham Lincoln
Memorial Hospital's Memorial Weight Loss & Wellness Center, offers
these 10 tips to get you started. These tips are so easy, you’ll
have no problems sticking to them.
1. Don’t skip meals. Our bodies and brains need calories on a
routine basis throughout the day. Eating every three to four hours
will spread your calories/energy evenly throughout the day and
prevent you from becoming overly hungry and succumbing to that
tempting plate of chocolate chip cookies.
2. Plan ahead. When we fail to plan, we plan to fail! Fast
food and vending machines aren’t nearly as tempting when a packed
lunch is waiting in the fridge and healthy snacks are within reach.
Pack a bag with weekly daytime snacks to have on hand, and use
dinner leftovers as part of your lunch the next day.
3. Eat a balanced plate. Balance is important in all aspects
of life but especially helpful when trying to adapt a healthier
eating style. Choose a plate that is 9 inches in diameter; divide
the plate so that half contains non-starchy vegetables, one-quarter
is lean protein and one-quarter is a starch or starchy vegetables.
Add a side of fruit or serving of low-fat milk to round it out. This
provides instant portion control, a variety of vitamins and
minerals, and a mix of complex carbohydrates, fiber and protein to
keep us full for a longer time period.
4. Eat more fiber. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that our
bodies are unable to digest, yet as our bodies try to process it, it
keeps us satisfied for a longer timeframe. Fiber is also helpful for
cholesterol reduction and keeping our bowels healthy. Add fruits and
veggies to round your plate at meals and snacks, and look for grain
products with 3 grams or higher of dietary fiber per serving for the
most bang for your buck.
5. Watch for refined sugars. Refined sugars are hidden in
many places these days. Found in things like beverages, granola
bars, cereals and coffee drinks, they can increase a calorie count
but provide no nutrition in return. Choose foods with less than 10
grams of added sugar per serving.
6. Stay hydrated. Our bodies are made up of 60 percent to 70
percent water. Drinking plenty of fluids can assist in controlling
calories, improvement in energy levels, kidney and bowel health as
well as muscle health. Try a glass of water with lemon or
decaffeinated tea to add to your goal of 64 ounces per day.
7. Eat slower. It takes 20 minutes for your brain and your
stomach to decide if they are satisfied with the meal you have
consumed. Try setting your fork down between bites and chewing foods
20 times before swallowing to assist in portion control and savoring
the foods at hand.
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8. Establish a designated eating area. Eating meals or snacks
in a designated area allows us to recognize when we are truly
satisfied and gives the brain the opportunity to associate meals
with a specific place.
9. Keep a food diary. Individuals who keep food diaries lose
more weight and are more successful at meeting their health goals.
Awareness is the key to change!
10. Be persistent. Don’t give up! Healthy habits are not
created overnight but rather are steps that must be practiced each
day. Look at each day as an opportunity to improve the next and
celebrate your successes.
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