Plan to Eat and Stick to Your Plan
by Tara Smith
If you want to save yourself from dreaded diseases like heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer, you must make a habit of taking a well-balanced nutritious diet. If your ideal is to have a sound mind in a healthy body, the key is to bring in balance, moderation and variety in your meals.
Thanks to the growing fast food and restaurant industry, people have stopped eating home cooked meals. There is no time to plan or cook healthy meals at home, and there are so many choices of eating out that fast food restaurants have almost totally replaced home cooked food. Unfortunately, it has led to stress, discomfort and disease. It's time to change this pattern, which is no easy task.
Therefore, go about making changes in a planned and systematic manner. As they say, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. So, plan your meals at the beginning of the week and stick to the plan. Include whole grain cereal, whole-wheat toast, fruit, low-fat yogurt, 100% juice, and skim milk in breakfast, and pack leftovers from dinner so you don't have any excuse to run for a hotdog or pizza. Eat salads without dressing for a quick and easy dinner, and store readily available vegetables with low fat dip for all time snacks for children.
To beat the strenuous work schedules, prepare meals that can be stored in the freezer such as casseroles and pasta dishes so that all you need to do during week days is to take a dish out of the freezer in the morning, and heat it when you come back from work. And, dinner is ready in 35-45 minutes without much effort.
Eating healthy on a regular basis is not difficult, but breaking old habits may appear to be a daunting task. You will need a whole lot of determination to overcome the initial hesitation. But the good news is that within a couple of weeks, eating healthy will become your second nature. You will feel healthier in body, mind and spirit, especially when you start seeing the good results yourself.
Be a good role model for your family. You will be serving them by providing both healthy meals and educating them about leading a healthy lifestyle. This is huge because you are setting the example for your kids and passing it on to their kids, and down the line. So, if there was any evidence before of family history health problems, feel well that you decided to take charge and end the madness or at least decrease the risk for your family's future generations.
However, don't go overboard following the plan obsessively. Remember, moderation is the key. A cookie once in a while will save you from devouring an entire box in a weak moment.
Plan your meals to incorporate servings of protein, whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. RDA suggest for daily intake of carbohydrates: 55-70%, fats: 20-30%, proteins: 15-20% and the World Health Organization suggests 40-50 grams of fiber daily. A varied diet is essential to good health. Concentrate on foods that are high in vitamins, essential fatty acids, antioxidants, unrefined carbohydrates, high fiber, low in sugar, low in fat, low in sodium, and limit alcohol consumption. Eating well and limiting your use of salt, sugar, caffeine, fats, can reduce stress and disease. American Cancer Society has stated that as much as 60% of cancer is related to diet.
A healthy diet is the first step towards leading a healthy life style. A good balanced diet will gradually lead to good eating habits and make your life less stressful. It's best to make a plan and include your family for suggestions and feedback. If you get them involved, they will support you in making the changes. Finally, stick to the plan and soon you will see changes in your life; you will be able to manage stress, reduce risk of disease and illness, control weight, and provide energy.
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