How to Eat to be Fit for Life
Living a long and healthy life requires more than just good genes and a lot of luck. It requires following a diet that consists of eating what researchers have determined to be the correct foods in the right combinations. This, coupled with applying nutritionally sound practices, will help you eat to be fit for life.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
How to Eat to be Fit for Life
-
1
Determine the number of calories you need based on the amount of energy you expend each day. Calories equate to energy. In order to maintain your current body weight, you need to burn as many calories as your body uses. For every 3,000 calories over what you use, you will gain approximately one pound. A woman who weights 130 pounds and is moderately active should consume 1,800 calories per day. A 160-pound man who is moderately active should consume 2,000 to 2,200 calories per day.
-
2
Eat no more than 23 g of fat per day. This is the recommended amount according to the Cleveland Clinic and the USDA.
-
-
3
Eat a healthy breakfast. Harvey Diamond is the author and creator of the Fit for Life program. His advice is to only consume fruits and vegetables before noon.
-
4
Maximize the health benefits of eating fruit and be sure to eat blueberries. Researchers at the USDA Human Research Nutrition Center have discovered that blueberries lead to better memory and retention of motor skills as we age.
-
5
Eat oatmeal for lunch--real oatmeal, not the kind that comes in packets and various flavors. Oatmeal has been proven to reduce the risk for cancer, lower bad cholesterol and lower the risk of heart disease.
-
6
Limit red meat. It is high in saturated fat, and research suggests that red meat contributes to the debilitating effects of arthritis and certain cancers.
-
7
Consume flavonoids. These water-soluble plant pigments have antioxidant properties that actually work to repair damaged tissue. Foods rich in flavonoids include both black and green teas, onions, basil and garlic.
-
8
Eat to live; don't live to eat. Develop tastes for healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, and limit your intake of refined sugar and salt. Several nutritionists, including Dr. Joel Fuhrman, have discovered that you can actually reduce the incidence of diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer by eliminating refined sugar and reducing sodium.
-
9
Toss the alcohol and soda and replace them with water. All alcohol and all soda--even diet sodas. Recent research suggests that the sweetness of diet soda makes us crave more sugary foods, and thus we end up eating more unhealthy snacks.
-
1
