Do you Know the Benefits of Healthy Eating?Read on to Test Your Healthy Eating IQThe benefits of healthy eating include water and weight loss, feeling full longer, supplying essential nutrients and more energy. Did you ever wonder how to overcome bad eating habits to gain benefits of healthy eating? This can be a real challenge for your weekend eating when you’re busy trying to take care of errands, socializing or working around the house. When it comes to dieting, there is no lack of promises of quick weight loss tips. From low-carb, to high-protein, to 1800 calorie, to 1200 calorie to very low calorie diets, there is no shortage of advice. Achieving a weight loss of over 140 pounds taught me that eating to lose weight requires calorie reduction. The benefits of healthy eating and calorie reduction can leave you feeling full and satisfied while keeping your energy level high, especially when you choose the right kinds of food. Test Your Knowledge of the Benefits of Healthy EatingWater Provides Benefits During Weight LossTrue!Water provides many benefits for your body. Besides keeping body temperature normal, water lubricates and cushions joints, protects the spinal cord and tissues from injury and rids the body of waste.Water and weight loss also go together by decreasing hunger pangs. According to Alicia Trocker, M.S.R.D. of the UCLA Department of Medicine, many people mistaken thirst for hunger. Mistaking hunger cues for thirst could lead to bad eating habits and weight gain, while at the same time deprive your body of essential fluids. Water and weight loss also can be achieved by substituting it for sugar sweetened beverages. Water is a great way to cut calories. Even though you may know the calorie content of many of your favorite beverages, if you are like I was, you may be taking in a lot of your calories through beverages. Soda pop, smoothies, café lattes and bottled teas may be okay on occasion but if you drink several of these in a day, you may be adding up to 800 calories to your intake, depending on the size portion size. Tips: Try drinking a glass of water next time you feel hungry to ward off pseudo hunger pangs. Reduce your portion size by ordering a child’s size soda pop. Stock your fridge with gallons of water rather than sugar sweetened drinks. Add a splash of lemon to your water. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times. Many bottled water packages are safe for freezing. Allow the water to thaw throughout the day to keep your water cold and refreshing.
Fiber Can Aid Weight Loss and Prevent Certain Chronic IllnessesTrue!Fiber increases the volume of foods and lowers energy density. Lower density means less calories and more food! More food means staying full throughout the day and decreases deprived feelings that lead to bad eating habits. Fiber also helps to decrease the risk of chronic illnesses including heart disease and colon cancer.Tips: Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables to add more fiber to your diet. Experiment with high fiber products. Many high fiber products come in different forms like cereal and snack bars. My favorite products are Fiber One, Aunt Millie's high fiber breads and Kashi bars. Remember to drink plenty of no calorie beverages, like water, with your fiber intake to stay full longer and prevent overeating. Essential Vitamins and Minerals are a Benefit of Healthy EatingTrue!Our bodies are complex machines that need the right amount and combination of nutrients to stay healthy. Vitamins and minerals found in fruits and vegetables help prevent chronic illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and certain cancers. Vitamins such as A found in carrots, spinach and cabbage help keep eyes and skin healthy and protect against infections. Vitamin C found in red and green peppers, strawberries, broccoli and oranges help heal cuts and wounds and keep teeth and gums healthy.Tips: Eating healthy foods can be easy. Add volume to your meals by adding fruits and vegetables to favorite dishes. Substitute spinach, onions or other vegetables for an egg or a portion of cheese in your morning omelet. Cut back on some cereal and add some fruit like cut up bananas or peaches. Wrap your lunchtime sandwich fixings in lettuce rather than bread. Add diced vegetables to your favorite broth. Substitute chopped vegetables such as broccoli, tomatoes or peppers for equal amounts of rice or pasta in your favorite dish. Check your plate. Vegetables, fruit and whole grains should take up most of your plate. Look for ways to increase these foods while reducing the amount of fats and protein on your plate. Protein is an Essential Part of a Healthy Eating PlanTrue!Protein, including meats, poultry such as chicken and turkey, fish and legumes such as dried beans and peas and eggs are examples of proteins needed for the body. When prepared without added fat, lean meats such as skinless chicken, fish and low fat beef lower your risk of heart disease and some cancers in comparison to those higher in saturated fat.Tips: Bake, broil or boil meats to keep the fat content low. Remove skin from poultry. Trim fat from meats before cooking. Try low fat dairy products such as milk or yogurt for protein intake. Substitute egg whites for whole eggs.
The benefits of healthy eating are enormous. Besides weight loss, the benefits of healthy eating include improved energy, reducing your risk of chronic illnesses and maintaining healthy vital organs like your skin. These are the tips I used to lose over 140 pounds. And, these are the tips I continue to use to maintain my weight loss.
Reference: Trocker, A. (2005). Women’s Rx. UCLA. Return from Benefits of Healthy Eating to Home Page.
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