A New Year, A New You!

I. Introduction: What does balanced eating really mean?

• To achieve balanced nutrition: At every meal and snack you eat, have a balance of macronutrients- protein, carbohydrate, and fat to provide sustainable energy. Aim for ~50% of calories from carbohydrate (choose whole grains, fruit, and green leafy vegetables most often); ~20% to 25% from protein; 25% to 30% from fat (<10%>
• If you wait longer than 5 hours to eat, your metabolism slows down, your body gets into a hibernation mode and thinks that you’re living during a famine, therefore you store more fat.
• Eat optimally balanced meals and snacks, within an hour to 1 ½ hours after waking and every 4 hours throughout the day, maximum is 5 hours, to keep your sugar levels stable, increase your metabolism, help prevent fat storage, and to be energized all day!
  *Bottom Line for knowing how much to eat: Be “in tune” with your hunger level, listen to your body! Your body knows how much it needs!

II. Food Label Focus: To know if it’s an optimal food to bring home- Look at 3 main items.

1. Fat

• Follow Deborah’s “3 rule” to choose low-fat foods! Look on a food label for the total grams of fat; multiply that by 3, add a 0 at the end or move the decimal place over to the right. Compare that number with the total calories, if less than the total calories, it’s less than 30% calories from fat = LOW-FAT. Example: 5 grams of fat, 180 calorie food, 5 X 3 = 15, add a 0, = 150, 150<180>

2. Fiber is your best friend for increased satisfaction, high fiber foods give you more for your chew!

• Aim for 3 grams or more of dietary fiber per slice of bread/per snack-for example, crackers, sports bars, and 5 or more grams per serving of cereal or per meal.
• High fiber starches include: whole-wheat couscous, sprouted grain bread, oatmeal, quinoa, amaranth, barley, bulgur, brown rice, yams, or winter squash
• High fiber fruits: S or S fruits (edible skin or edible seeds fruit): e.g.,apples, strawberries, blueberries or oranges (get bioflavonoids and fiber from the white part of the orange)
• High fiber vegetables: focus on eating one cruciferous vegetable daily (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, kale, mustard greens, rutabagas and turnips – these have been shown in numerous research studies to offer protection against certain cancers, they are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals). Follow the rainbow of colors when choosing your weekly fruits and vegetables to provide a variety of vitamins and minerals (for example, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, chard, kale, collard greens, zucchini, red/yellow bell peppers, apples, berries, pears, oranges, limes).
• When it comes to produce: Aim for 5 a day for your fruits and vegetables. Have 2 fruits and 3 vegetables daily.
  *One serving of fruit equals, 1 small fresh fruit (2 inch across), ¼ cup of dried fruit (try to buy naturally dried, unsulfured) or ½ cup canned in it’s own juice or ½ cup fresh fruit or ½ cup unsweetened fruit juice (100% juice) – have maximum of a half cup juice per day mixed with water to prevent the calories from adding up so quickly (eat your fruit rather than drink it, so you get the fiber and increased satisfaction).
  One serving of non-starchy vegetables = ½ cup of cooked vegetables or vegetable juice or 1 cup of raw vegetables.

3. Sodium

• Try choosing low sodium foods more often: Aim for less than 150 mg per serving on most products and less than 400 mg sodium per serving for frozen foods. When a food is higher in sodium, please drink a lot of water to flush the sodium through, and balance that high sodium food with lots of vegetables to provide even more hydration and fiber. If you have hypertension, aim for less than 2,000 mg or 2 grams of sodium per day.

III. Learn the 3 D’s- Deciphering Dietary Deception!

Before going grocery shopping, prepare yourself with the dietary deception on food labels with specific ingredients to look for and specific foods that cause concern. The key words to look for are Lite, Free, Diet, Sugar Free – these words often translate into a packaged food that is not clean (meaning contains chemicals that may be carcinogenic, low in fiber (has no satiety value) and can actually increase your appetite, not conducive for weight loss).

• If you see the words diet or sugar-free on the food product– keep it on the store shelf. Diet foods contain artificial sweeteners that can stimulate appetite and often contain artificial colors or flavorings that have been linked to ADHD and cancer. Sugar-free contains artificial sweeteners, which are not healthful, research has linked aspartame specifically to the obesity epidemic; artificial sweeteners are so sweet that they make us hungrier. The cleaner fuel you give yourself, the tastier the food will be and the more satisfaction you’ll receive with each bite.
• Dietary deception is most prevalent in the breads, cereal, crackers, frozen and dairy department: Some examples include: Baker’s Inn 9 grain bread (you would think there would be at least 3 grams of fiber per slice, nope only has 2 grams of dietary fiber per slice, mono and diglycerides, and 210 mg sodium per slice); one of the most known diet foods, “pinch an inch” – Special K Kellogg’s Cereal (has less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 220 mg sodium, and high fructose corn syrup).
• Specific Food Labeling Tip to not be fooled by packaging: Look at the grams of dietary fiber for all starchy foods (e.g., bread, crackers, cereal, rice, pasta), grams of fat, milligrams of sodium on all packaged foods, and the ingredient list.
  Red flags to look for in the ingredient list on labels and why:
  Artificial colors/flavors– Yellow #5, Red #3, Blue #1, Green #3, etc. = some are suspected of being cancer causing, and may exacerbate hyperactivity
  Artificial or processed sweeteners- Acesulfame potassium, Aspartame, Saccharin, Stevia, Splenda, sucralose, sorbitol, acesulfame, xylitol = may increase risk for cancer,
  BHT - butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) preservative= hepatotoxicity (liver toxicity) induced by the anti-oxidant food additive, may increase risk of cancer, and when BHT was applied to the skin, it was associated with toxic effects in lung tissue
  Caffeine – increases blood pressure, may cause insomnia if ingested late in the day, may affect the developing fetus, mildly addictive, can cause excess energy or hyperactivity in some people
  Carmine or cochineal extract = both are derived from female cochineal beetles, which are raised in Peru, the Canary Islands, and elsewhere. They provide a pink, red, or purple color to foods, may be declared as artificial color or color added on food labels and may be allergenic
  Cocoa processed with alkali- processes out the benefits of cocoa, the antioxidants (catechins) are leached
  Dough conditioners – additives to help improve the quality of the finished dough= may include carcinogenic agents, for example, potassium bromate and may include emulsifiers such as mono-and diglycerides which include saturated fats
  Enriched, bleached flour = processed bread, destroys some of the nutrients originally present in the whole grains, enriched with some vitamins but not all those present in the original grain
  RED FLAGS (cont’d):
  Flaxseed (whole not grounded), flaxseed oil = when the flax is whole, it goes right through, the body does not get the benefits of the omega-3’s, flaxseed oil may increase cancer risk due to high levels of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)
  Ginseng (Panax ginseng) - Panax ginseng's most common side-effects is the inability to sleep. Other side-effects include nausea, diarrhea, euphoria, headaches, epistaxis, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, mastalgia, and vaginal bleeding.
  Glycerol ester of wood resin = possible allergen, largely unabsorbed, some components are metabolized by the liver
  High fructose corn syrup, corn syrup solids = excess fructose can increase LDL (bad cholesterol level, clogs the arteries), is more readily converted to fat by the liver, increases the levels of fat in the bloodstream in the form of triglycerides.
  Mono and diglycerides = most likely to cause unwanted effects are those containing long-chain saturated fatty acids, especially stearic acid, increases blood cholesterol.
  Monosodium glutamate (MSG) – flavor enhancer = may cause migraine headaches, chest tightness, wheezing, asthma attacks in those vulnerable
  Olestra- fat replacement = may cause diarrhea, loss of important fat-soluble vitamins
  Palm oil, palm kernel oil, fractionated palm kernel oil- saturated fat, increases LDL cholesterol
  Partially Hydrogenated and hydrogenated oils, trans fat = increases cholesterol level and is carcinogenic
  Polysorbate 60, 65- derived from sorbitol - an artificial sweetener = side effects include: Nausea, gas, diarrhea, stomach cramps or anal irritation
  Potassium bromate – may increase risk of cancer
  Sodium nitrite, nitrites – meat preservatives = may increase risk of stomach cancer
  Sodium stearoyl lactylate- Sodium stearoyl lactate (and the similar calcium stearoyl lactate) - an emulsifier used as a dough strengthener in baked goods, is made by combining lactic acid and stearic acid, and then reacting the result with sodium
  hydroxide or calcium hydroxide to make the sodium or calcium salt = stearic acid is a saturated fat
  Sodium sulfite, sulfites – provokes asthma attacks in those vulnerable, may increase risk for cancer
  Sorbitan ester of fatty acids - Mono-, di- and trisorbitan esters of palmitic, stearic, oleic, isostearic and sesquioleic acid = saturated fats
  Soy Protein Isolate, soy protein concentrate, isolated soy protein –isoflavones are weak estrogens = eating too much (more than 100 mg a day) could possibly increase risk of cancer
  Sucrose syrup – concentrated sugar
  TBHQ (TERT-BUTYLHYDROQUINONE) = may induce free radical formation and erythrocyte membrane alterations (cell damage)

IV. EATING “ON THE GO” SNACK IDEAS:
Satisfying SNACKS:
Make your own trail-mix with roasted peanuts (check ingredients for peanuts, no oils added), and raw almonds/other nuts/seeds and raisins or dried blueberries/cranberries (check ingredients for no sugar or additives).
Spread 2 Tablespoons of all-natural peanut butter or soy nut butter on half a sprouted grain bagel/whole-wheat pita/whole-wheat crackers.
Blend 1/2 cup of plain or vanilla low-fat yogurt with vanilla soymilk with 1/2 frozen banana and a handful of frozen strawberries.
Spread pizza sauce/marinara sauce over an English muffin and place a sliced tomato and 1 ounce of Jarlsberg Lite Swiss Cheese or French Yogurt Cheese on top, melt in a toaster oven.
Layer a whole-grain blueberry toaster waffle with 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt and 1/2 cup fresh berries/defrosted frozen berries.
Scoop 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese into a cantaloupe or honeydew melon half.
Top a half of a cinnamon-raisin sprouted grain bagel with low-fat ricotta cheese and cinnamon sprinkled on top.
Combine 1/4 cup low-fat ricotta cheese or cottage cheese with 1/2 cup apple sauce and a dash of cinnamon. Sprinkle with Grape-Nuts or low-fat granola.
Roll a whole-wheat tortilla up with scrambled egg whites with 1 egg yolk and salsa.
Stuff half a whole-wheat pita with 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese and sliced canned (in it’s own juice or water) peaches, pears, or a fresh banana.
Stuff a pita pocket with sliced turkey breast or sliced part-skim milk cheese, tomato, and a squirt of mustard.
Use spreads such as chicken or tuna salad onto whole-wheat crackers.
Mix 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese with 1/4 cup strawberry yogurt and sprinkle with Muesli cereal.
Add cereal (at least 5 grams dietary fiber) to plain low-fat yogurt.
Spread 1 Tablespoon of Soy butter (try “I’m Healthy Soy Nut Butter” from Whole Foods) on 2 apple halves.
Spread all-natural peanut butter and all-fruit jam on Ak-mak crackers or a mini-bagel.
Top a mini-bagel with turkey or chicken breast.
Put slivered almonds and roasted peanuts in 1 cup of vanilla yogurt.
Have a box of raisins with soy nuts (try Dr. Soy or Genisoy brand).
Have ½ cup of edamame (fresh soybeans) as a completely balanced snack.
Blend coffee flavored soymilk with ¼ cup nonfat dry milk powder and ice for a high protein ice mocha.
Have an ounce of yogurt cheese on “Woven wheat” (available at Whole Foods/Wild Oats/Trader Joe’s) crackers.
Have low-fat string cheese (choose Organic part-skim milk, e.g., Horizon) with an apple or pear.
Melt part-skim mozzarella on a whole-wheat tortilla or toasted wheat pita, put some veggies on top (e.g., tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli).
Spread all-natural peanut butter with sprinkled sunflower seeds in celery sticks and apple slices.
Frozen banana: Peel bananas; dip into cocoa and a dash of honey or pure maple syrup; roll in ground nuts (ground peanuts and walnuts or soynuts), freeze individually in plastic wrap.
Have ½ cup fruit or 2” across piece of fruit with 20 soy crisps, flavor of choice.
NOTE: Incorporate these snacks as part of your meal plan. If you still feel hungry beyond your individualized snack/meal times, nosh on vegetables “free foods”, e.g. bell peppers, celery, carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, etc. Also, drink lots of water and hot tea (drizzled with a little agave nectar) between snacks/meals.
ENERGIZER SHAKE!
Ingredients:
6 ounces of tofu (organic, soft or “silken” packed in water, rinse and drain) or ¼ cup nonfat dry milk powder or powdered egg whites (available at Whole Foods, in the baking section, Bob’s Red Mill brand)
6 ounces organic plain low fat yogurt (Fage 0% Greek Yogurt is best for lower carbs. to fit in the fruit)
1 small banana
½ cup strawberries
1 cup frozen blueberries
½ cup fruit of your choice (e.g. frozen peaches, mixed berries, or cherries)
4 cups of organic unsweetened soy milk (try “Silk” or Trader Joe’s brand)
Optional –for added fiber and omega-3 essential fatty acids, stir in a Tablespoon of ground flaxseed (try Organic Bob’s Red Mill whole ground flaxseed meal) to the cup you drink, so it doesn’t get rancid, you need to drink it right away.
Directions: In a blender, put all ingredients together. If you like a thinner shake, add water and use less milk. Put the top on the blender, chop, blend, and whip. You’re all set for an energizing breakfast or snack. Add a piece of whole wheat/grain toast or a small bowl of >5 grams dietary fiber cereal with the shake for even more sustainable energy. Make this shake the night before, keep it in the blender and store it in the refrigerator. The next morning, just press whip, and you’ve got a quick and easy “on-the-go” energizer.
Serving size: 1.5 cups
Total servings: ~4
Nutrition Analysis per serving:
239 Calories, 31 grams Carbohydrates, 16 grams Protein, 6 grams Fat

Nutrition Tips for Your Busy Life

Below is a great article from Mealtime.com providing a few suggestions in order to incorporate a healthy diet into your lifestyle. Although they suggest adding canned fruits and vegetables remember: it does not take much time to cut up a fresh tomato, peach, or onion as a nice addition to your salad or sandwich. Canned vegetables are better than no vegetables at all, however, fresh is best! Mix it up. Have fresh one day and canned the next. My concern with canned fruit and vegetables is that they contain excess sodium, sugar, and unnecessary calories.

Paint Your Plate with Color – Mix blueberries or pineapple tidbits in your yogurt. Garnish your salad with sliced beets or peach slices. Tuck spinach leaves into your sandwich. Use carrot coins, corn and sliced peppers as pizza toppers. Make a taco salad with tomato salsa. Fortify canned and homemade soup with green peas or beans. Switch to a sweet-potato salad. A rainbow of fruits and vegetables – canned, frozen, fresh - create a palette of nutrients and phytonutrients, or plant substances, on your plate. Many phytonutrients work as antioxidants that protect healthy body cells from damage – and may help protect against some cancers, heart disease and other health problems. Check Mealtime.org regularly for hundreds of free, healthy recipes made with phytonutrient-rich canned fruits and vegetables.


Go Lean with Protein - Protein-rich foods take center plate in most meals. A good thing since we all need protein to build and repair body cells. And emerging research suggests that eating more protein as you get older may help you keep your muscle mass as lifestyles become less physically active. No matter what the source, smart choices are also lean, low-fat or fat-free! Among the quick-to-prepare, quick-to-serve options to have on hand: canned tuna, salmon, chicken or turkey for salads and stir-fries; skinless chicken breasts, fish fillets or steaks to broil or grill; lean ground meat for burgers and pasta sauces; eggs to scramble; and a variety of canned beans for salads, stews, soups and more. An added bonus, salmon and tuna deliver heart-healthy omega-3s and beans provide fiber.

Fiber: Bundled with Nutrients and Phytonutrients – Fiber-rich foods – beans, whole-grain products, vegetables and some fruits - are loaded with health benefits. Fiber itself not only aids digestion, but also helps protect you from a host of health problems, from constipation and hemorrhoids, to some forms of cancer. Generally lower in calories, fiber-rich foods also help with weight management. There’s more: eating “fiber-rich” foods may help people with diabetes maintain blood sugar levels. And it’s heart-healthy. “Fiber up” your pantry: keep canned beans, vegetables and fruit on hand for quick and easy fiber-rich meals.

You Say “Tomato” – Tomatoes contain lycopene, a phytonutrient in the carotenoid family, which may help protect against prostate cancer and heart disease. Research indicates that heat from cooking or canning makes the lycopene in tomatoes more available to your body. That said, use the variety of canned tomato products, such as diced and whole tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste, tomato soup, and salsas, as your best and most convenient food sources of lycopene.

"Soy" Good! – Whether canned black or yellow soybeans, soybeans in the pod, soy drinks, tofu or the many other soy products in today’s marketplace, soy delivers on nutrition. It not only provides high-quality protein, but it’s also a good source of B vitamins, potassium, unsaturated fats and isoflavones, which may help lower your risks for some health problems. Soy protein may be heart healthy, too! Quick meal ideas: add canned soybeans to your soups, pasta sauces, chili and salads.(Mealtime.com)

Yes, it's not too late to increase your metabolism.

Patients frequently think they are stuck, their body is not burning anymore. Ever since they past 30 years old, their body is not the same. They think that this is the way it is, can't do anything about it. Thankfully, this is not the case, you can increase your metabolism even after living a sedentary lifestyle.

The two ways to make your body burn more calories:
1. Increase your muscle mass by doing some push-ups before you go to sleep, doing Therabands (resistive bands) which you can do at your office/at a hotel/at home, easily, or do some weight lifting. The key to increase muscle is to do 3 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions with 3 body parts for a minimum of 2 times per week. Always do your bigger body part first, e.g., back before chest before shoulder before biceps, then triceps. To know if you are lifting the appropriate weight, make sure you feel it after 10 reps, if you can do the exercise easily after 12 reps, it's definitely time to increase the weight.

Increasing your muscle, makes your body more of a calorie burner, even while you are sleeping you will burn more calories, the more muscle you have on you. One pound of muscle burns 17 times more calories than a pound of fat, that's my motivator to do some resistance training.

2. Eat every 4 hours, try to not go longer than 5 hours max. If you wait longer than 5 hours, your metabolism will slow down. Just the act of eating increases your metabolism. It's called the systemic dynamic action of eating, digesting, absorbing, and storing takes energy, thus, eating smaller quantities more often will help you burn more calories throughout the day. Keep in mind, in order to get a metabolic benefit from your eating time, it needs to be at least 150 calories, so those lite 80 calorie yogurts are not going to cut it. Have a balanced snack, e.g., an apple and 2 Tbsp. nuts (~12 nuts) or ~8 Ak-mak (whole-wheat) crackers with 1 ounce low fat cheese.

Also, key note, to help prevent the nighttime eating frenzy, eat the majority of your calories throughout the day, this will help you feel more satisfied. Our satiety hormones, that tell us whether we are full or not, do not work as effectively at night, so if we were so busy during the day that we skipped lunch or waited 6 hours until we finally ate, we are setting ourselves up for eating everything in site and having an insatiable hunger. The majority of my patients have the hardest time at night with controlling what they eat, due to this natural hormonal state and typical hectic work life. Now with the insight on what is physically going on, may you feel satisfied, energized and burn calories effectively throughout your day.

HEALTH AND HAPPINESS TO YOU. ENJOY LIVITING!
Your Livitician, Deborah A. Klein, MS, RD

To be in charge of whether the food goes in or not.

Be TRUE and PRESENT. It's all about self-respect. We don't own our body, our body is on loan, when we die, we don't take our body with us, our soul goes with us but not our body. SO, let's focus on nourishing our soul, taking care of our soul, cause that's what lasts. My advice to those who are having a rough time, putting down the fork when your tummy is full and your cells have had enough: think before you go for another bite of food, what is it that you are truly feeling, why are you wanting that other piece of chocolate, why do you want that pint of ice cream? Are you tired, wanting some lovin', feeling deprived... When your answer to am I hungry is no, try something different, step away from the table, and start dancing, I know it sounds silly, but sing a song out loud or to yourself and start moving, "I don't need that cookie, I don't need that cookie, just dance, dance, dance, instead." It really works. Just moving gets us awake, and strengthens us to focus on other things besides food to nourish ourselves, dancing is an expression of our soul, have fun expressing.

Deborah A. Klein, MS, RD

What is the key to keep a person inspired?

I truly want to help each patient who walks into my door. But, the most frustrating part of my job is I can't help a person who isn't ready to make changes and stay focused on maintaining a healthy way of life for life. What is it, that will keep a person inspired each day to have the mindset to choose life over another mouth full?

I was just at the gym today and saw a patient of mine who was working out, awesome job, but she still hasn't reached her healthy weight, because her emotions are getting in the way of her "control" over her food. She told me she eats and eats when she is angry, lonely, and depressed. How can I help her realize that the food does not have control over her life? The food doesn't have a mind or a heart or a soul. I want to help all of you out there who feel like the food is on the throne and you want to bow down to it, and obey it by eating it no matter what your tummy is telling you. Please let me know how you are feeling out there when it comes to eating when you are not hungry?

Email me at deborah@livitician.com.

best of health,

Deborah A. Klein, MS, RD
Your Livitician

10 Tips to Healthy Eating

An article from http://www.realtime.net/

Experts agree the key to healthy eating is the time-tested advice of balance, variety and moderation. In short, that means eating a wide variety of foods without getting too many calories or too much of any one nutrient. These 10 tips can help you follow that advice while still enjoying the foods you eat.
1. Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them all. Your daily food selection should include bread and other whole-grain products; fruits; vegetables; dairy products; and meat, poultry, fish and other protein foods. How much you should eat depends on your calorie needs. Use the Food Guide Pyramid and the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels as handy references.
2.Enjoy plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Surveys show most Americans don't eat enough of these foods. Do you eat 6-11 servings from the bread, rice, cereal and pasta group, 3 of which should be whole grains? Do you eat 2-4 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables? If you don't enjoy some of these at first, give them another chance. Look through cookbooks for tasty ways to prepare unfamiliar foods.
3. Maintain a healthy weight. The weight that's right for you depends on many factors including your sex, height, age and heredity. Excess body fat increases your chances for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer and other illnesses. But being too thin can increase your risk for osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities and other health problems. If you're constantly losing and regaining weight, a registered dietitian can help you develop sensible eating habits for successful weight management. Regular exercise is also important to maintaining a healthy weight.
4. Eat moderate portions. If you keep portion sizes reasonable, it's easier to eat the foods you want and stay healthy. Did you know the recommended serving of cooked meat is 3 ounces, similar in size to a deck of playing cards? A medium piece of fruit is 1 serving and a cup of pasta equals 2 servings. A pint of ice cream contains 4 servings. Refer to the Food Guide Pyramid for information on recommended serving sizes.
5. Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating. When you're very hungry, it's also tempting to forget about good nutrition. Snacking between meals can help curb hunger, but don't eat so much that your snack becomes an entire meal.
6. Reduce, don't eliminate certain foods. Most people eat for pleasure as well as nutrition. If your favorite foods are high in fat, salt or sugar, the key is moderating how much of these foods you eat and how often you eat them.Identify major sources of these ingredients in your diet and make changes, if necessary. Adults who eat high-fat meats or whole-milk dairy products at every meal are probably eating too much fat. Use the Nutrition Facts panel on the food label to help balance your choices.Choosing skim or low-fat dairy products and lean cuts of meat such as flank steak and beef round can reduce fat intake significantly.If you love fried chicken, however, you don't have to give it up. Just eat it less often. When dining out, share it with a friend, ask for a take-home bag or a smaller portion.
7. Balance your food choices over time. Not every food has to be "perfect." When eating a food high in fat, salt or sugar, select other foods that are low in these ingredients. If you miss out on any food group one day, make up for it the next. Your food choices over several days should fit together into a healthy pattern.
8. Know your diet pitfalls. To improve your eating habits, you first have to know what's wrong with them. Write down everything you eat for three days. Then check your list according to the rest of these tips. Do you add a lot of butter, creamy sauces or salad dressings? Rather than eliminating these foods, just cut back your portions. Are you getting enough fruits and vegetables? If not, you may be missing out on vital nutrients.
9. Make changes gradually. Just as there are no "superfoods" or easy answers to a healthy diet, don't expect to totally revamp your eating habits overnight. Changing too much, too fast can get in the way of success. Begin to remedy excesses or deficiencies with modest changes that can add up to positive, lifelong eating habits. For instance, if you don't like the taste of skim milk, try low-fat. Eventually you may find you like skim, too.
10. Remember, foods are not good or bad. Select foods based on your total eating patterns, not whether any individual food is "good" or "bad." Don't feel guilty if you love foods such as apple pie, potato chips, candy bars or ice cream. Eat them in moderation, and choose other foods to provide the balance and variety that are vital to good health.