Healthy eating isn’t about dieting, depriving yourself, or staying extremely thin. Instead, healthy eating is more about mood stabilization, having energy, and staying as healthy as you can.
Learning some of the basics about nutrition and expanding your food choices are great ways to begin your road to healthy eating. Consider the following information offered by our Atlanta orthopedic doctors and contact our clinic for help improving your overall health.
Make Healthy Eating Manageable
To start a healthy eating program, focus on small changes first. Making small, gradual changes can help you to be successful in the long run. Focus on making healthier choices, such as swapping a salad for French fries or choosing water over a soft drink. Each change that you choose to make will count toward reaching your overall health goals.
Healthy food choices
Moderation is the key for any healthy diet. The primary goal for a healthy eating plan is to develop a diet that you can stick to long-term, not just until you have met a weight loss goal. Moderation typically refers to eating less unhealthy foods such as saturated fat and refined sugar and more healthy items (like vegetables and fruits). Luckily, you don’t need to completely eliminate the foods that you love while eating in moderation, but if you eat a candy bar during the afternoon you may need to make concessions for what you can eat in the evenings. Other tips for eating in moderation include:
- Take smaller portions
- Don’t consider any foods «off-limits»
- Make healthy food substitutions
Develop Healthy Eating Habits
Developing better eating habits is also essential for a healthy eating plan. Eat for hunger and listen to your body. Dine with others and model good eating habits for children. Take time to enjoy your meals and eat slowly rather than rushing through the process. Avoid late night snacking, and be sure to eat breakfast in the morning to jumpstart your metabolism.
