Things You'll Need:
- Just some effort and attention to what you buy/eat.
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Step 1
First off, it's a good idea to get your physicals yearly. I know, this isn't an eating step but it is a step in learning what types of things you need to work on with the eating. For example, if you learn that you have high cholesterol, you may need to eat something different than if you learn that you have diabetes. Because of this, getting checkups are very important and helpful to this process.
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Step 2
Okay, now you know if you have a medical condition that is needing attention. If you do not have any medical conditions that need attention, that does not mean you can not get healthier. Sometimes bad nutrition causes a lack of energy, feelings of lethargy or weight gain or weight loss. Whatever the health problem, the answer is to center your food around what you need (or don't need for that matter). Make a diary of what you eat for a while. Some people say a week, some say a month, I think you should do what you feel is best. Me personally, I can't keep track for more than a week but that should be enough to find out what you are not getting enough of.
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Step 3
Compare what you need to what you are not getting or what you get too much of. For example, if your food diary says that you eat double quarter pounders every day, you may want to lay off the fat and add some veggies and fruits. Sometimes you can actually trick yourself into doing this. For example, instead of going out to McDonalds for their Big Mac, you could stay home and make almost the same thing and have it be a ton healthier and even tastier. Just use a 90/10 hamburger or even substitute with ground turkey if you'd like for an even healthier result. Add your seasonings - I like Lawrys salt. If you want to trick yourself you could even add a little bit of fruit or veggie pulp like what would be left over from a juicer and it has little to know flavor unless you put a ton in. This way you are cutting down on fat and adding some nutrients. Then try using the George Foreman Grill or something like that. It drains grease from your burger cutting down on a lot of the fat. By doing stuff like this, you could eat a burger that has the same size to it and even the same toppings (McDonalds Big Mac sauce tastes remarkably similar to Thousand Island dressing) and STILL be eating healthier. Imagine, by making your Big Mac at home, you can add nutrients which can give you more energy and cut down on fat which can help your cholesterol and help you lose weight.
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Step 4
Research. If you can find the time or have the will to do it, comparing products that you buy on a semi-regular basis can be beneficial. For example, Cheerios and oatmeal are great for lowering cholesterol. You can get just egg whites in containers now. Substituting sea salt for table salt can actually lower your sodium with almost the exact same flavoring capabilities as the table salt. This will help those of you who have high blood pressure but can't lay off the salt (I am one of you, pre-hypertensive but LOVE salty foods).
Basically, you can eat almost the exact same foods you do now, with a little tweaking and that can lower your blood pressure, cholesterol, or sugar count, and increase your nutrients and fiber and all the good foods that a quick and easy lifestyle is notorious for neglecting. It doesn't always have to be hard either, buying healthier cookies is just as quick and convenient as the less healthier ones, but cooking your own food has the advantage of being a bit of a workout as well (not necessarily equal to a 2 mile run, but more so than driving through McDonalds). Happy eating.
Comments
cclofmead said
on 5/10/2009 Great article!! Getting Healthier by Eating Healthier sounds like a great plan!! 5*
lovesherboys said
on 4/20/2009 Graet article on How to Get Healthier by Eating :)
katecrittendon said
on 4/9/2009 sounds wonderful!