Are you overweight? Have a problem with high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease? Are you worried about getting cancer or other ailments? Do you wish you could just feel better? If so, then you need to make a healthy eating program a part of your daily life.

It all starts with knowing how your body works, and how it reacts to various types of foods. Some foods drain you and can make you sick, others have no real effect, and still others will improve your overall health. It’s this last category that you will want to focus on as you start your own healthy eating program.

The next thing you need to consider is what your health goals are. After all, if you’re not interested in losing weight, then it wouldn’t make sense to start a plan that’s all about shedding pounds. However, you could still look into it and then use the parts of the diet that fit in with your particular goals. See, when you start looking at the bigger picture, you won’t feel as though you have to try every new eating plan that comes out. At the same time though, you will be able to incorporate good ideas from any plan and make them a part of your program.

One of the keys to look for in a healthy eating program is balance. Any diet that has you eat too much of certain foods, or too little of others is usually not a smart choice. The first reason why such plans don’t make sense is that they won’t give you all of the nutrition you need. There are some vital nutrients that can only be found in certain foods, and if those foods are eliminated (or drastically reduced), then you could harm your health in the long run. The second reason is that you will most likely start to crave the “forbidden” foods. Now, willpower can be a wonderful thing, but it can only carry you so far. You will eventually give in to your temptations, and you’ll be worse off than before.

Some general guidelines to follow are to eat whole foods, or foods that are as close to their natural source as possible. Good choices for most people include whole grains, lean protein, healthy fats, and fruits and vegetables. Avoid over-processed foods. Try to eat a wide variety of foods so you have a more complete nutrition profile. Pay attention to the food you eat and remember that food matters.

You don’t have to follow a healthy eating program that was created by somebody else. The truth is that you can make your own plan and do just fine. The catch is that it may take some time to figure everything out and a lot of the available information on food can be confusing. For those reasons, a lot of people will look for programs that cover most of what they’re looking for; as a sort of shortcut to good health. This is actually a good idea, at least to get you started.

Tags: Ailments, Atkins, Body Fitness, Body Works, cancer;, diabetes;, Diet, Eating Habits, Fruits And Vegetables, Health Goals, Healthy Diet, Healthy Eating, heart disease;, high blood pressure;, Losing Weight, Natural Source, Nutrition, Overweight, Smart Choice, Temptations, Vital Nutrients, Wellness, Whole Foods, Wonderful Thing —

Perhaps you are in a state of general good health, and you are not overweight. If so, then you may be thinking that there is no need for you to go on a healthy eating plan. Hey, you feel great! Right? So it stands to reason that you should be able to eat whatever you want without having to worry about it. While it may seem that way, the truth is that healthy eating is a smart choice for everyone, regardless of their current state of health. On the other hand, you may be like a large portion of the population and already have some weight or health issues. Either way, here are some things for you to consider.

First, let’s talk about all of the confusion that’s out there. It seems as though there are new diets and news stories coming out every day that tell us about what foods are healthy and which ones aren’t. This would be great if they could agree on anything. Instead, it seems as though all if this information is contradictory. That wouldn’t be that big of a problem if people didn’t use it as an excuse to eat whatever they want. So, just because there is conflicting information, doesn’t give you free license to eat anything, any time.

A good example of this is the fat in our diets. There was a time, not all that long ago, that fat was food enemy #1. Food makers were quick to roll out low-fat versions of some of their more popular foods, and people gobbled them up (figuratively and literally). So, what happened to people’s waistlines? Well, they sure didn’t shrink. In fact, the population kept getting heavier. Clearly there was something else going on. What it comes down to is that we need fat to be healthy, but there are different types of fats. Trans fats and saturated fat should be avoided (though some saturated is acceptable, trans fats should be eliminated entirely), but monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can be enjoyed in moderation and actually impart some health benefits.

The next thing to watch out for is refined foods. In other words, do your best to eat foods as close to their natural state as possible. You can take this a step further by passing any foods which contain ingredients that sound like they are the result of a chemical experiment. White flour, sugar and other simple carbohydrates are some of the more common examples of refined foods that don’t belong in a healthy eating plan.

Finally, while all of the advice above is good, it’s okay to “slip” once in a while. If possible, try to find healthy alternatives for the junk foods you feel you must have. But other than that, the occasional cheeseburger or handful of chips won’t hurt you as long as you don’t make a habit of eating them, and eat are eating well otherwise. The key is to make changes that you can stick to and to take smaller steps so you can get used to a healthier lifestyle.

Tags: Confusion, Current Health, Current State, Diets, Different Types Of Fats, Eating Habits, Excuse, Food Makers, General Good Health, Health Issues, Healthy Diet, Healthy Eating Plan, Large Portion, Losing Weight, Moderation, News Stories, Polyunsaturated Fats, Popular Foods, Population, Saturated Fat, Smart Choice, Trans Fats, Types Of Fats —