| The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has a few healthy eating tips that people should know about and are simple to follow. The first is eat breakfast. Seems easy enough. Breakfast can give us the vitamins and minerals we need to have energy for the start of a long day. The next one is to drink 100% fruit juice. This is a good idea, cut out all those unpronounceable additives. |
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They also suggest cutting down on portion sizes and substitute low-fat or fat-free baked good for the regular ones. The excuse that they don't taste as good means you are not buying the right ones. And lastly, choose fruit. That's a concept. Try having a apple between lunch and dinner instead of ice cream. |
Did you know that if you include less fat in your diet that it can assist in weight loss or weight maintenance because you'll be eating fewer calories? It can also help reduce your risk of heart disease by reducing saturated fat, which will help lower blood cholesterol levels. Lastly, it may help reduce your risk of cancer.
Do you know what a healthy diet is? According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition a healthy diet contains the amount of essential nutrients and calories needed to prevent nutritional deficiencies and excesses. Healthy diets also provide the right balance of carbohydrates, fats, and protein to reduce risks for chronic diseases, and are a part of a full and productive lifestyle. Such diets are obtained from a variety of foods that are available, affordable, and enjoyable.
So...do you have any idea what one serving of the food you eat really looks like?? The following table has serving size examples from the American Institute for Cancer Research.
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A single serving of….. |
Is about the size of…. |
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Raw vegetables |
Fist |
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Cooked vegetables |
Palm of hand |
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Pasta |
1 scoop of ice cream |
|
Meat |
Deck of cards |
|
Grilled fish |
Checkbook |
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2 Tbs. butter, margarine, peanut butter, cream cheese |
Thumb (from joint to tip) |
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Snacks (pretzels, chips) |
Handful |
|
Chopped fruit |
Tennis ball |
|
Apple |
Baseball |
|
Potato |
Computer mouse |
|
Bagel (1/2) |
Hockey puck |
|
Pancake |
Compact disc |
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Steamed rice |
Cupcake wrapper |
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Cheese |
1 pair of dice |
This graph (like it says) shows the percent of adults on a diet. Dieting is perfectly fine as long as you are doing it properly. The key is knowing which diet will best fit your needs and lifestyle. You also need to make sure that you are completely aware of all the health considerations and drawbacks of the diets you are considering.
