Getting Fit: The facts on nutrition and health
With so much health advice going around these days — the protein diet, the fruit diet, the potato diet, the beer diet, and the seafood diet — it’s sometimes hard to figure out which foods diet to choose.
I have some great guidelines that can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.
To get all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients necessary for proper nutrition try and to eat a variety of different foods. This does not mean go out and eat a little bit of everything you can get your hands on at the all you can eat food bar.
Serving size is as important as what you eat.
Imagine holding your hand upward with some chicken in it. This is one serving. Now, take that same concept and apply it to your servings of protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables. Each of your meals should consist of these three servings.
This measuring tool is very portable and never fails to properly measure out your meals. But I would suggest using approximations when doing the actual measuring instead of eating out of your hands.
Stay away from all fried foods, gravy products, butter, oil, cream base products, candy, chips, ice cream, and sugar products. Your meals should be well balanced, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, breads and cereals, and a variety of protein sources, such as poultry, fish, lean meats, beans, and peas.
Try to be creative when seasoning foods, using herbs or other flavorings instead of salt. Avoid salty snack foods and processed food products that are high in sodium.
Your daily meals should include plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which provide energy and contribute to your overall health. Avoid all sugar when possible. When sweets are desired, choose whole fruit, carrot sticks, yogurt or low fat wheat breads and crackers instead of sugary snacks.
Try to stay away from alcoholic beverages. Avoid food products such as fatty cold cuts, crackers, peanut butter, chips, sugared cereals, frozen waffles, white floor breads, and white flour pancake mixes. Use whole grain flours when available.
If you haven’t been reading food labels, now is a good time to start. The information on the package lets you compare similar brands and to chose those items with fewer calories and fat.
Don’t feel like you can not treat yourself to an occasional ice cream cone, or a slice or two of pizza from time to time, just don’t try and eat the whole gallon or pizza in one sitting.
Remember portion control is vital to your weight loss success. Most importantly, eat healthy, exercise, and cut back on the amount of food consumed at each and every meal and you will reach your weight loss and fitness goals.
Lately several informants have told me that I have been spotted eating at several of the local “all you can eat” establishments.
All I have to say about that is, it must have been someone that just looked like me, or it could have been my evil twin brother.
(Kelly Shires is the Wellness Coordinator at the McMinnville Civic Center.)