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Plan to Eat and Stick to Your Plan

By: Tara Smith Poor nutrition has been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and many other diseases. We can reduce our risk by choosing well-balanced meals. Balance, moderation and variety are the keys to eating well to maintain a sound mind and body.

This is the age of fast foods and eating out — the obvious consequence of fast-paced life, extreme work pressure and long and erratic hours of work and travel. Home food has become a rarity, a great challenge but worth adopting nonetheless.

Therefore, go about making changes in a planned and systematic manner. As they say, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. So, plan your meals at the beginning of the week and stick to the plan. Include whole grain cereal, whole-wheat toast, fruit, low-fat yogurt, 100% juice, and skim milk in breakfast, and pack leftovers from dinner so you don’t have any excuse to run for a hotdog or pizza. Eat salads without dressing for a quick and easy dinner, and store readily available vegetables with low fat dip for all time snacks for children.

To beat the strenuous work schedules, prepare meals that can be stored in the freezer such as casseroles and pasta dishes so that all you need to do during week days is to take a dish out of the freezer in the morning, and heat it when you come back from work. And, dinner is ready in 35-45 minutes without much effort.

Eating healthy on a regular basis does take planning and discipline. At first, it may seem rigorous because you are learning how to prepare meals. Grocery shopping may also feel like a chore. But, within a couple of weeks, it will become a habit and second nature. You will feel more in control knowing exactly what ingredients are being used. Therefore, you do not have to worry about hidden fats or too much salt, that are likely present in most restaurant foods.

Once you are convinced of the good effects of a well-balanced and nutritious diet, you will become a role model for your family. You will not only serve them healthy meals but you will also educate them about leading a healthy lifestyle. This will help you get rid of problems inherited from family and at the same time decrease the risk for your family's future generations.

It’s important to get rid of the notion that only junk food is tasty food. However, you must watch out lest you slip into the other extreme. Always follow the path of moderation. Don’t become too obsessed or restrictive; excess of everything is bad. If you are too restrictive, you stand the risk of losing it altogether some day and then all your efforts go down the drain in one go.

Plan your meals to incorporate servings of protein, whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. RDA suggest for daily intake of carbohydrates: 55-70%, fats: 20-30%, proteins: 15-20% and the World Health Organization suggests 40-50 grams of fiber daily. A varied diet is essential to good health. Concentrate on foods that are high in vitamins, essential fatty acids, antioxidants, unrefined carbohydrates, high fiber, low in sugar, low in fat, low in sodium, and limit alcohol consumption. Eating well and limiting your use of salt, sugar, caffeine, fats, can reduce stress and disease. American Cancer Society has stated that as much as 60% of cancer is related to diet.

A healthy diet is the first step towards leading a healthy life style. A good balanced diet will gradually lead to good eating habits and make your life less stressful. It’s best to make a plan and include your family for suggestions and feedback. If you get them involved, they will support you in making the changes. Finally, stick to the plan and soon you will see changes in your life; you will be able to manage stress, reduce risk of disease and illness, control weight, and provide energy.

Article Source: http://www.lifeweightloss.com

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