I recently read an article on www.scientificamerican.com called "Eating Made Simple." According to the author Marion Nestle, an nutrition professor at NYU, nutrition advice is a combination of scientific argument, the self interest of food companies, and compromises by the government. And yet its basic dietary principles have not changed for nearly 50 years: eat less; move more; eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; and avoid too much junk food.
- Eat less - consume fewer calories (smaller portions, limit between meal snacks)
- Move more - balance your calories with your physical activity
- Eat fruits, veggies, & whole grains - they provide nutrients not found in other foods
- Avoid junk food - foods of minimal nutritional value (highly processed, sweets, snacks, soft drinks)
Healthy eating habits will not only help people maintain a healthy weight, but have more energy, help prevent future health problems, and have good looking skin, teeth, and hair. What does a healthy diet consist of? Balance, variety, and moderation.
As part of my exploration into healthy eating I have decided to follow the USDA’s dietary guidelines to see how easy or difficult it can be. In the spirit of full disclosure I must say that I eat pretty healthy now. I eat almost whole grains exclusively, in fact I only eat white rice, bread, or pasta when I eat out, or at someone’s house. I have a sweet tooth and can easily over indulge, but I do love my vegetables. Looking over the information of what my diet will now consist of it seems the challenge is going to be portion control. What does a cup of fruit look like, or an ounce of meat? It will be harder to judge how much of what I have eaten when I haven't cooked it myself. I have one question, what food group is chocolate cake in?
Rebecca's new daily amount of food from each group:
Fruits - 1.5 cups
Vegetables - 2.5 cups
Grains - 6 oz
Meat & beans - 5 oz
Milk - 3 cups
Oils - 5 tsp
1 comment:
Portion control is a major factor in weight loss. I was very surprised to see how much I had been over eating once I started a weight loss program that required weighing and measuring portions.
Now, 67 lbs lighter and two and one half years later, I still weigh and measure. Honestly, I don't miss the huge amounts, can eat them anymore.
I have lean meats, protein, whole grains and 3-5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
We become comfortable with ourselves, then realize that something must be done for our health and survival. Some of us come to this realization and it can be a very scary and stressful adventure.
One of the things that I've learned through my journey is to try and find something other than food to keep me busy. I go the gym 3-4 times a week and always try to have things planned ahead of time for activities.
One more thing I learned during this process of changing my mind and body.....you must plan and try and cook ahead, have things ready to eat. Therefore, there is no reason or excuse to stay within your portions.
Rebecca or Becky as I know her, is going in the right direction.
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