Healthy Eating Means What?
Healthy Eating Means What?
Many people have “healthy eating” as a goal, but what does that mean? Eating healthier can mean any number of things, and usually something different to everyone. Defining what you mean will help you achieve it.
As with any destination, if you are not clear about where you are going how will you know when you have arrived. Being clear about your goal helps you know what to do and when you have done it.
Healthy eating can mean:
eating smaller amounts/portions – Many Americans eat too much food, whether healthy foods or not. Eating smaller amounts of foods, and therefore calories, can help many people lose weight and minimize their blood sugar and insulin swings.
eating enough food/calories – For people who have severely limited their caloric intake, for them the best thing they can do is eat more quality food.
eating often enough – This means eating frequently enough to prevent the ferocious hunger feeling that can lead to poor food choices and eating too quickly.
eating a variety of foods – Expanding your repertoire of foods gives you a bigger variety of nutrients and antioxidants. Eating the same few foods over and over, even if they are healthy foods, limits the vitamins and nutrients your body has to work with.
increasing fiber – Many Americans do not come close to getting the recommended 20 – 35 grams of fiber daily. Fiber helps keep you full longer, stabilizes your blood sugar, and keeps your bowels moving regularly. Some types of fiber can help lower LDL (the “bad” cholesterol).
eating more antioxidants – The more variety of antioxidants you eat gives your body more to work with in running smoothly and warding off diseases.
eating more protein – Protein is a vital building block, but also helps keep us feeling full and stabilizes our blood sugar because it is digested more slowly than carbohydrates.
balancing the types of fats eaten –Switching to mono-unsaturated and omega 3 fatty acids are better for us than eating transfats and too many saturated fats.
making better snack choices – Snacks are ideally 100-200 calories and provide some nutritional value. They give us energy between regular meals. Snacks with both fiber and protein make great choices (an apple with peanut butter, or cheese and whole grain crackers).
prepping foods – Our food choices are often dictated by convenience. We may have healthy food in the house but do not feel like washing and cutting it. Having food ready to go and easy to use (whether buying pre-chopped vegetables or chopping them yourself when you have the time) will make you more likely to choose those foods.
pre-planning (shopping, prepping, having good choices available) – Spending the time planning meals and snacks, shopping for them, and preparing what you can in advance goes a long way to making those foods more appealing once you are tired and hungry. Simply having them available increases your chances of eating them.
paying attention to how you eat – Sitting down, eating slowly and enjoying your food can help you eat less and feel more satisfied. Eating should be a pleasant experience.
noticing why you eat – Ideally you should eat only when you are hungry. This means eliminating emotional and habitual eating. Think about whether you are really hungry before you reach for the chips when settling into your favorite TV chair, or munch when a deadline is looming.
changing what you eat when – Try eating more substantial food for breakfast. Coffee and toast or cereal may not be enough to keep you going comfortably until lunch. Dinner leftovers or a sandwich are not off limits for breakfast. And a small bowl of cereal can be a great snack.
So what does healthy eating mean to you; on which aspect of healthy eating do you really want to focus? With that answer you should be better able to make clear and specific goals. When you are clear about your objective you can more easily get there.
Maybe you recently squeezed into clothes that used to fit, or got back lab results that you could improve, or realized you could be more satisfied with your life. Laura Crooks is an RN, certified wellness coach, and speaker who helps people who have had a wake-up call make permanent lifestyle changes. Through You Bloom Wellness she offers both group and individual coaching, presentations, classes, and wellness programs. For more information and to subscribe to a free e-zine, Ideas for Healthy Living, please visit www.youbloomwellness.com
Healthy eating that makes a difference for weight loss.
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I think it’s ok to eat untill you feel stuffed or while watching tv or something like that, as long as you just count the calories. For example, my home made burritos are about 1000 calories, I feel pretty stuffed after those, but I just eat less during the day and stay in my caloric deficit. and does it really matter if you watch tv while eating it? calories are calories
your so right
Thanks! Please tell a friend.
My pleasure. Keep up the good work!
Thanks!!!
LOL! I’d be happy with just a TV show helping others!
Thank you! Nothing but the truth!!!
That’s exactly what my doctor said, very good Steve. Stars *****
He should win something better than that. Hell, I think they gave a Peace Prize to Al Gore.
Thank you! Please tell anybody who needs help.
You should win a Nobel Peace Prize.
schedual eating is not the real world, I have to eat on the go otherwise I do not eat
Thank you so much for these videos. I am working on making myself a better person and I appreciate the factual and to the point manner in which the videos are presented. I am hoping to lose weight/improve health the correct way and keep it off.
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i write down everything Steve says, it helps that he’s str8 to the point.
I love how Steve is a no bullshit kind of guy. It’s really obvious what you have to do to lose weight, it’s just a matter of DOING IT!
Very inspiring.
Scheduling meals has always helped me heaps. But eating while doing something else is my kryptonite… wish there were more hours in the day.
Full point is really important!
way to go stevey!!
love your body
love ur body
Well said Steve, common sense for the win.
Steve’s advise is great for idiot America. No offense to Steve, because he is simply breaking things down in a way that the average person can understand. It’s amazing how uneducated John Q. Public is about nutrition and physiology.
prepare your food, I work full time but I always make sure I bring food to my workplace that I have made at home the night before. then when I’m on my break I have something ready for me to chow down right away.
don’t eat junk and you will lose weight
We love your body, Steve!