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Healthy Eating Tips

Don't go on a very low-calorie diet - DIETS DON'T WORK! When your body doesn't get the calories it needs, it slows down how fast it burns the calories it does get. So rather than helping you to lose weight, dieting actually makes it easier to gain weight.

Try to eat a variety of foods from all groups in the Food Guide Pyramid. The more variety you have in your diet, the more you will be able to give your body what it needs: fuel for long-lasting energy and nutrients for growth, repair and top performance.

Try not to skip meals, especially breakfasts. Fasting puts a lot of stress on your body and that's what you do when you skip meals, especially breakfast. Without adequate fuel for the morning's activities, most people soon feel tired and irritable - the opposite of energetic and when you're really hungry, you tend to eat more, especially of the foods that are not the healthiest. Skipping meals always catches up with you later.Breakfast is of particular importance because you are ‘breaking the fast’. Your body has been without nutrients since the day before, it craves them. Make sure to never skip breakfast.

Bring healthy food along with you. Bring along a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a whole-wheat bagel and some low –fat cheese, fruit and yogurt, a milk carton or some trail mix when you leave the house. Then you won't have to rely on whatever is most convenient - usually junk foods or fast foods that are filled with fat and empty calories.

Make sure to eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables - at least 5 a day! Here are some ideas:

a.	Choose a 100% fruit juice - like orange juice - instead of soda
b.	Grab a fruit or a salad as a snack
c.	Eat cut-up, fresh vegetables like broccoli and carrot sticks with a yogurt dip for a TV snack
d.	Microwave or bake a potato and add a dab or yogurt
e.	Add lettuce and tomato to your sandwiches
f.	Eat your vegetables at dinner time

Try to listen to your body signals. Eat when you're hungry; stop eating when you're full. Try not to eat when your body really wants something else. Sleep when you're tired; exercise when you're lethargic (lack energy); breathe deeply when you're stressed; and get involved in fun activities if you're bored.

Be a fat finder. Choose foods by reading labels and choosing the lower fat choice. You can eat four apples for the number of calories in a fast food apple pie, or have five cups of unbuttered popcorn for the same calories as in one serving of potato chips (15 chips).Also look to make sure the lower fat choice is not filled with a lot of simple carbohydrates. If you see a high amount of sugar in there and see anything refined in the ingredients list, you may want to make another choice. Try to look for unprocessed foods, with words such as 'whole' wheat or flour in the ingredients list.

Try not to mix eating with other activities, especially watching TV. Often you wind up eating more without even being conscious of it. If you have to snack while watching TV, chew on lower-fat stuff like plain popcorn, pretzels, fruit salad, or fresh veggies with a yogurt dip.

Don't say never - especially to your favorite foods. Just enjoy them a little at a time. The minute you deny yourself something you want to eat, you end up spending more time and energy thinking about wanting it. Finally, when you do go for it, you often end up eating more than you would have if you had just enjoyed a little of it in the first place. Moderation is always the best way to go.

10.

Have a great time moving your body. Being active - whether in sports, dancing in your room, or taking a brisk walk - is the best way to feel good, look good, and give your body what it needs. Exercise is also a great stress reducer.

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Finally, try to appreciate your body for all that it does for you. . . and discover your own unique beauty, inside and out!

It is also important to avoid empty calories
Many of the foods and beverages Americans eat and drink contain empty calories – calories from solid fats and/or added sugars. Solid fats and added sugars add calories to the food but few or no nutrients. For this reason, the calories from solid fats and added sugars in a food are often called empty calories. Learning more about solid fats and added sugars can help you make better food and drink choices.

Solid fats are fats that are solid at room temperature, like butter, beef fat, and shortening. Some solid fats are found naturally in foods. They can also be added when foods are processed by food companies or when they are prepared.

Added sugars are sugars and syrups that are added when foods or beverages are processed or prepared.

Solid fats and added sugars can make a food or beverage more appealing, but they also can add a lot of calories. The foods and beverages that provide the most empty calories for Americans are:

	●	Cakes, cookies, pastries, and donuts (contain both solid fat and added sugars)
	●	Sodas, energy drinks, sports drinks, and fruit drinks (contain added sugars)
	●	Cheese (contains solid fat)
	●	Pizza (contains solid fat)
	●	Ice cream (contains both solid fat and added sugars)
	●	Sausages, hot dogs, bacon, and ribs (contain solid fat)

A small amount of empty calories is okay, but most people eat far more than is healthy. It is important to limit empty calories to the amount that fits your calorie and nutrient needs. You can lower your intake by eating and drinking foods and beverages containing empty calories less often or by decreasing the amount you eat or drink.