Develop Healthy Eating Habits

We all realize that we have to eat to live, but too little of the right kinds of food can lead to poor health. Here are some tips to help develop more healthy eating habits:

1. Schedule three meals a day into your routine. It's important to be nourished adequately throughout the day to prevent fatigue and to perform at an optimal level.
2. Eat a healthy breakfast. Include grains and fruits. Try a high-fiber cereal with low fat milk and sliced bananas.
3. Eating small frequent meals can be less taxing on your digestive system.
4. Snack between meals to curb your appetite and provide a little energy. Try a piece of fruit or a few crackers with peanut butter.
5. Do not let yourself become so hungry as to overeat at mealtime. Overeating burdens your digestive system.
6. Drinking water or having a small bowl of soup before meals may keep you from overeating at your meal.
7. Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly to aid in your digestion. Take time to savor your food.
8. Obtain protein from a less complicated source, such as nuts, legumes, grains and sprouts.
9. Choose low fat dairy products, lean white meats or wild fish if animal products are desired.
10. Combine vegetables and grains with a small amount of protein for a synergistic effect.
11. Choose a variety of whole grain products to include millet, barley and buckwheat.
12. Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables that are deep in color, such as the dark orange of a carrot or the deep green of spinach. They contain more nutrients.
13. Choose organic products to eliminate chemical exposure. Chemicals are harmful to overall health.
14. Avoid processed food as it contains ingredients that have been changed from their natural state. These unnatural foods are difficult for your body to assimilate.
15. Choose sea salt as it is equivalent in nature to the salt within your body. It is very cleansing. Refined salt causes fluid retention and increased blood pressure.
16. Eliminate sugars or choose an unrefined sugar, such as turbinado or honey.
17. Drink plenty of clean water to aid in flushing toxins and the waste products of natural cell metabolism.
18. Gradually wean from large portions to achieve a healthy weight.
19. Eat less in the evening if you are no longer exercising throughout the remainder of the day.
20. Use moderation when developing new eating habits. The important thing is to develop a plan that you'll find easy to accomplish and easy to maintain.
21. Keep a positive attitude focusing on long term results.
22. Eat at least one nutritious meal per day with your family to encourage their good eating habits.

Tips:
* Research several different kinds of diets focusing on the health and longevity of other cultures.
* If you are eating sensibly, but unable to maintain your health, see a physician for further testing.
* A personal trainer can determine a more appropriate diet and exercise plan based upon your body type and future goals.
* Take your time losing weight. Work to maintain your weight loss as well as your health.
* A steady exercise program can speed weight loss, but be sure it is reasonable to maintain.
* It may be healthier to be overweight than to have constant fluctuations in weight.
* Treat yourself to an occasional descretion, such as a piece of chocolate.
* Restaurants are known to carry refined salt and processed foods.
* The FDA recommends 0-2 servings of meat per day.
* Eat a gram of protein for every pound you weigh to maintain your weight.