Eat a variety of foods for a healthy lifestyle
Zaak OConan

Everyone knows that variety is important when it comes to diet. Not only is eating the same foods every day boring, but it is extremely unhealthy as well. That is because each type of food contains different nutrients, and different levels of those nutrients. The best way to eat healthy is to eat a wide variety of foods from all the food groups.

It is important to eat a good combination of meats, beans, dairy products, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. All these foods contain important nutrients, and no vitamin pill in existence can provide the vast variety of nutrients your body needs every day.

Of course simply eating foods from a variety of sources is not enough. It is also important to make smart choices within those food groups. After all, nonfat yogurt and an hot fudge sundae are both dairy products! The best choice in that situation should be obvious, but other choices are more subtle.

Fortunately, the nutritional labels which are required on all packaged foods are a big help for those pursuing a healthier diet. Not only do these labels contain information on the number of calories, fat grams, etc., but they provide detailed information on the levels of many important vitamins and minerals as well.

When choosing healthy foods, small changes can have a huge impact. Simply exchanging fresh, low fat fish for higher fat meats can greatly lower the amount of fat in your diet and increase your level of health.

Replacing highly processed grains for more nutritious whole grain products can also have a great impact on healthy eating. In nutritional terms, less is often more – that is less processing and less refining. Processing and refining methods can strip many vital nutrients from foods, so choosing less refined whole grain foods is important.

Cooking techniques are also very important when maximizing the health benefits of the foods you choose. After taking the time to choose the healthiest, freshest broccoli in the supermarket, it would be quite a waste to slather that cooked broccoli with cheese and butter, for instance.

It would also be a mistake to overcook that broccoli, especially by boiling it in water for a long time. That is because vegetables can lose significant amounts of nutrients through overcooking. When preparing fresh vegetables, it is best to quickly steam them in the microwave or on the stove, using as little water as possible. Use only enough water to keep the vegetables from scorching.

When cooking potatoes, it is a good idea to eat the entire potato, including the skin. Potato skins contain significant levels of nutrients, including fiber, vitamins and minerals. Cooking a baked potato in the microwave, or on the grill, is a great way to make the skin moist and delicious. In addition, these methods of cooking minimize the need for high fat butter or sour cream to flavor the potato. In place of these high fat options, why not use a dollop of plain nonfat yogurt, or some low fat cottage cheese?

Choosing a variety of foods is important to a healthy lifestyle, but it just as important to limit the amount of certain foods. Foods high in sugar, and those high in sodium should be avoided as much as possible. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy that piece of cake or serving of potato chips as an occasional snack; it simply means limiting regular consumption of these high fat, low nutrition products.

When adopting healthier eating habits, it is important to make changes that you can stick with for the long run. After all, a healthy eating lifestyle is just that, a lifestyle. Changing your shopping, cooking and eating habits are not easy, but the many benefits make healthy eating an important habit to get into.
About the Author

Zaak O’Conan discovers and presents useful information on how to enhance and/or repair your life, body and relationships. You’ll find his other articles on eating better and other ways how to improve your life at http://your-health-center.com

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Do you eat a wide variety of foods for a healthy diet?
Zaak OConan

One of the most frequently cited reasons that diets and attempts at healthy eating fail is boredom. Many people simply do not know how to keep a healthy diet interesting day after day, and it can be quite a challenge.

Given the huge variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, meats and other healthy foods at the local grocery store, however, it is definitely possible to create exciting, nutritious meals that will keep boredom at bay.

Your key to healthy eating
The key to the success of any plan for healthy eating is to eat what you like, but to exercise moderation when it comes to the less healthy foods. Improving your level of health and fitness does not mean forgoing that piece of chocolate cake, for instance. It does mean, however, limiting yourself to one piece. A healthy diet contains all types of foods, including carbohydrates, proteins, and even fats. The key is choosing foods that provide the best combination of taste and nutrition. After all, if your diet consists of foods you hate, you will not stick with it.

The revised USDA food pyramid contains five major food groups – grains, vegetables, fruits, milk and dairy, and meat and beans. When choosing foods from these groups, it is important to eat a wide variety of foods from every food group. Doing so will not only give you a great deal of variety and keep boredom from setting in, but it will provide the best nutritional balance as well. In addition the widely known macronutrients, such as vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin C, etc. all foods contain a variety of micronutrients. Though present in extremely tiny amounts, they are vitally important to good health. That is why a healthy, varied diet is so important.

In addition, when choosing foods from within the various food groups, some choices are naturally better and healthier than others. For instance, choosing skim or 2% milk instead of full fat whole milk is a good way to cut down on both fat and calories. And choosing poultry or lean meat is a great way to get the protein you need every day without extra fat, cholesterol and calories.

Likewise cereals and breads that carry the whole grain label are healthier than those who do not. Even in the world of fruits and vegetables some choices are better than others. For instance, peaches packed in heavy syrup add unnecessary sugar to the diet, while those packed in water or juice provide only good nutrition.

There has been a trend lately to add vitamin fortification to food, and this can sometimes be a good way to maximize nutrition. It is important to remember, however, that proper nutrition comes from a healthy diet, not from vitamin supplements. It is fine to buy calcium fortified cereal, but the bulk of your calcium intake should still come from milk, dairy products and green leafy veggies.

Choosing the best foods
Knowing the five major food groups and how much of each to eat every day is only part of the picture. The other part is choosing the best foods from within those food groups. That means things like choosing the leanest cuts of meat, using egg substitutes instead of whole eggs, choosing the freshest fruits and vegetables, etc.

Even with fruits and vegetables, some choices are better than others. Some fruits, such as avocados, for instance, are packed with fat and calories. It is important to check the nutritional qualities of the fruits and vegetables you buy, and not simply assume that all fruits and vegetables are equally healthy.

One way to maximize nutrition while minimizing cost is to buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. Fruits and vegetables that are in season are usually quite a bit cheaper than those that must be shipped hundreds or even thousands of miles, and they are generally much fresher too. Of course, depending on where you live, there may be varieties of fruits and vegetables that are not available locally, so the northerner in search of citrus fruits will just have to watch the sales and buy accordingly.
About the Author

Zaak O’Conan discovers and presents useful information on how to enhance and/or repair your life, body and relationships. You’ll find his other articles on eating better and other ways how to improve your life at http://your-health-center.com

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Determining if your diet is healthy enough
Tony Robinson

Everyone wants to eat a healthier diet, but it can sometimes be
difficult to know if your diet is healthy enough. There are a
number of factors that go into creating a healthy diet, and it
is important to evaluate the current state of your diet before
embarking on a plan for healthier eating.

There are several questions you should ask yourself when
evaluating the healthiness (or lack thereof) of your current
eating plan. These questions include:

Do I eat a wide variety of foods? Variety is one of the most
important hallmarks of a healthy diet, since no one food
contains all the nutrients needed by the human body. It is
important to eat foods from all the major food groups, including
grains and breads, fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy
products, meats, beans and nuts.

If you find yourself avoiding some food groups, such as
vegetables for instance, it may be time to look for a healthier
diet.

Do I recognize the importance of cereals, breads and other grain
products? Eating a wide variety of grain based products is
important to a healthy diet. Grains and cereals contain a large
number of important nutrients, including high levels of dietary
fiber.

It is important to choose whole grain products as often as
possible, since whole grain products like wheat bread contain
more nutrients than more refined white bread and similar
products. When eating cereal, it is a good idea to choose whole
grain varieties, or those that are enriched with vitamins and
minerals.

Do I eat lots of fruits and vegetables? Many people do not eat
sufficient servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Most
experts recommend eating between 5 and 9 servings of fruits and
vegetables every day, roughly equivalent to 2 cups of fruit and
2 cups of vegetables.

When shopping for vegetables and fruits, it is important to
choose a good variety of dark green, dark red, orange and yellow
varieties. That is because different colored fruits and
vegetables contain a variety of different nutrients, including
vitamin C, vitamin A and beta carotene.

Do I eat a good breakfast every morning? Breakfast, or the
absence of it, is often a good indicator of the state of your
diet. If you rush out of the house every morning and grab a
donut at the local convenience store, chances are your diet can
use some work. A healthy breakfast provides a foundation for the
rest of the day, helps you avoid cravings and provides much
needed nutrition.

Do I choose low fat foods over higher fat alternatives? This is
also an important question to ask yourself. Low fat alternatives
are available for a variety of products, including milk, cheese,
meats and more.

One part of following a healthy, low fat diet is avoiding
prepared foods whenever possible, since prepared foods tend to
have higher amounts of fat and sodium than fresh foods.

It is also important to control the amount of fat that is added
at the table. Adding things like butter, sour cream and heavy
sauces is a sure way to ruin an otherwise healthy meal. Even
healthy foods like salads can be sabotaged by the addition of
high fat salad dressings. Try using lower fat alternatives like
flavored vinegars instead.

Do I drink plenty of water? Drinking plenty of fresh, pure water
is important to maintaining a healthy body and a healthy
lifestyle. Water is important to maintaining optimal levels of
health.

If you think you need more water, try substituting water for
less healthy beverages like soda and coffee.

Am I able to maintain my optimal body weight? Gaining weight
without trying to is often a sign of a poor diet. Following a
healthy diet, and getting plenty of regular exercise, is the
only way to lose weight and keep it off.

Do I limit the amount of salt, sugar, alcohol and caffeine in my
diet? While all of these elements are fine in moderation,
excessive amounts of any of these four can indicate a serious
problem with your diet. It is important to limit the amount of
unhealthy elements in any diet.

About the author:

None

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Advice for Healthy Living in 2006
Anna Fleet

With the New Year now upon us, it’s important to give pause and
consider making some positive changes regarding the state of
your health. As they say, there’s no time like the present.
People the world over often make resolutions to do something to
better themselves in the coming year. In 2006, consider doing
something that will benefit your overall health. The following
suggestions may just help to ensure that you’re able to make New
Year’s resolutions for many years to come.

Get a Check-up – An excellent place to start when
considering lifestyle changes is with an honest assessment of
your health. At this stage, it wouldn’t hurt to consult with
your physician. Why not make an appointment for your annual
physical exam? This way, you can begin the year with an accurate
assessment of your physical state. Your doctor will be able to
focus your attention on areas that are of immediate health
concern. This is especially important if you’re a smoker, if
you’re overweight, or if you have any significant health issues
that might prevent you from performing simple daily tasks.

Drink More Water – Make another profound difference to
your health by consuming more water. Many people make the
mistake of assuming that they’ve received enough water from the
various pop, coffee and other beverages they’ve consumed in a
day. This is not entirely accurate. Ideally, one should consume
upwards of eight, 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Water helps
the body metabolize stored fats. It can also help your body
cleanse itself of free radicals, which have been linked to
cancer and other such ailments.

Get Moving – Exercise is yet another effective way to
maintain optimal health. That’s not to say that one has to
become entirely committed to working out each and every day, but
it’s in every individual’s best interest to perform some form of
activity 3 times per week. Physical exercise can be performed in
a wide variety of ways to keep it fun and interesting. For
instance, the simple act of walking is a highly effective form
of exercise. It’s one that can be completed without supervision,
without props, and without any previous experience working out.
Joining a gym has a number of direct benefits as well. Not only
will you have access to some excellent equipment, but you will
also benefit greatly from the fitness knowledge that most
personal trainers possess.

Pay Attention to Nutrition – Diet also plays a
significant role is one’s overall health. Everyone should be
familiar with the dietary guidelines established by the leading
health agencies and authorities. The “food pyramid” is by far
the most popular set of published nutritional guidelines. The
food pyramid advises people to include all of the major food
groups – grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy and meat (or protein)
– in their diets. Keep in mind that the food pyramid is merely a
nutritional guideline. The dietary needs of each individual will
vary drastically, and what’s ideal for one person isn’t
necessarily ideal for the next.

By following these few simple suggestions, you can take control
of your health and your life in 2006. Good luck!

About the author:

Anna Fleet is a certified personal trainer. When she is not
working out or helping others achieve optimal health, she is the
face and voice behind www.fitnessgear101.com – an excellent
online resource for information about Fitness Gear
Information, Aerobics
Equipment, and Workout Routines.

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