We've been hearing some of the same healthy eating suggestions over and over again for so long that they've become hard to ignore. After all, if that many doctors and nutrition experts can agree on ANYTHING, maybe there's something to it, right? Here they are:
1. Eat 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Packed with antioxidants, they can help reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. But which ones are best? Basically, you can walk into the produce section of your favorite grocery store, close your eyes, and pick one. Powerhouses: Blueberries, kale, spinach, and garlic.
2. Eat fatty fish 2-3 times a week. Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, they may help prevent heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, and brain dysfunction. Best sources: Salmon, sardines, mackerel, and herring.
3. Restrict grilled meat to 1-2 times a week. Recent evidence links beef, pork, veal, and lamb to increased risk of cancer of the colon, pancreas, breast, prostate, and kidney, due to carcinogens that form during grilling. Alternative cooking methods: Baking, braising, roasting, and microwaving.
4. Eat 25 grams of fiber a day. Fiber lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, and helps control weight. Best sources: Fiber One, All Bran, oat bran cereals, beans, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
5. Use olive oil; avoid trans fats. Olive oil is the choice of people who live the longest and have the least heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases. The trans fats found in baked goods and margarines clog arteries more than saturated animal fats do.
6. Eat "good" carbs. Refined carbs such as white bread and sugar cause rapid spikes in blood sugar and can double your risk of heart attack, diabetes, certain cancers, and weight gain. Choose unrefined carbohydrates instead. Best sources: Legumes, whole grains, high-fiber breads and cereals, fruits, and vegetables.
7. Drink tea. Real tea (not herbal) may help protect you from heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, infection, age-related mental decline, dental cavities, and weight gain. Best source: Brewed green tea.
8. Eat nuts. Just 3/4 ounce of almonds, walnuts, pecans, or pistachios daily slashes your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and Parkinson's disease.
9. Reduce portion sizes. Gigantic portions are a major cause of weight gain and obesity. If it isn't on your plate, you won't miss it.
10. Take a daily multivitamin with minerals. It can help make up for subtle deficiencies that cause you to be more prone to infections, bone fractures, and chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.
All pretty manageable, don't you think? Try adding one new habit each week, and imagine how much better you'll be eating in just a couple of months. And between those healthy meals, don't forget your daily dose of Vitamin Exercise!
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4 comments:
Yes, we probably know all the rules you have listed, but oh how we do need reminders every once in a while. Many thanks. Busy lives often don't take these suggestions seriously unless they come as a sixth sense--established earlier when perhaps there weren't so many demands on our time. Please remind us periodically for our own good.
Useful content and awesome design you got here! I want to thank you for sharing your solutions and taking the time into the stuff you publish! Sublime work!
I just can't get into the 'kale' thing. We just recently went to True Foods restaurant of Andrew Weil fame and every one around us were eating mounds of kale; the waiter gave us a 5 minute dissertation of how wonderful the kale was. So we ordered it--- and YUK! It tasted like tough grass and weeds. Is it a matter of developing a taste for it or are there other ways to prepare it?
Barb, I feel your pain on the kale, truly I do. Several of my clients have raved about the kale salad at True Foods, and though I haven't experienced it yet, it seems to me that you could put olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese on a flip-flop and it would be tasty. But not so much for you, eh? Perhaps kale takes some easing into. Try substituting a few kale leaves for the lettuce on your next sandwich or including just a little torn up in a salad, along with lots of other greens and goodies to help disguise the taste. I prefer my vegetables cooked rather than raw, so my favorite way to eat it is sprayed with a little Olive Oil Pam and microwaved for 2-3 minutes, then sprinkled with salt and pepper. I actually find it pretty tasty that way, especially when it's mixed with romaine, spinach, mushrooms, and roasted red peppers, or whatever your favorite vegetables are. I also like to dip the tips of the kale leaves in a little light soy or Ponzu sauce. But, Barb, there are so many other delicious produce choices that if kale makes you shudder every time you walk into the kitchen, bid it a fond farewell and move on to the next one!
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