Four Important Tips to Healthy Eating that Can Help You Lose Weight

In the last two decades, weight related health issues and obesity have reached epidemic proportions. The truth of the matter is that we as people are consuming larger portions, and a lot of the larger portions are from foods that are in high calories such as: Pizza, cookies, pastries, refined sugars (from candies) and Hamburgers. The lack of proper nutrients in our bodies generally have devastating long-term effects in both the immediate and distant future.

1. Eat Healthily By Eating in Smaller Portions

When it comes to achieving and maintaining your weight, the key may not be what you eat, but how much. The average person needs around 2000 calories a day. It is interesting to note that the size of the plate we eat on has increased by a considerable amount when compared to twenty or thirty years ago and this should be taken into account when judging the portions or food being shared. The most effective diet consists of having half of your plate laden with fresh and or cooked vegetables, one quarter being staple foods and the remainder consisting of Legumes and food from animals. This in conjunction with one glass of fruit juice is considered a well portioned plate.

2. Eat Healthily by Avoiding Unhealthy Food

Duh! is what you might be thinking but think again, most students watching their diet may generally eat healthily then go grab a pizza for breakfast after an all night study session. The average slice of pizza contains five hundred calories, if eaten in excess this has both negative long and short term effects. Short term effects such as sluggishness may be experienced, while the more dangerous and costly long-term effects are: obesity and its related diseases. A viable alternative would be 1 scrambled egg made with tomatoes, sweet peppers, onions and one ounce and grated cheese served with one slice of whole grain toast and an orange(200 calories). These excess calories all add up after 5 months, as we all are aware of after seeing the love handles forming.

3. Eat Healthily by Eating At The Right Time

The longer you delay having breakfast/extend your fast, the greater your risk of exceeding the recommended portions and over consuming at your next meal. This over eating leads to "bloating". Even if your meals consist of nutritious, non-bloating foods, too much of a good thing can be bad for your health.

4. Eat Healthily By Properly Chewing Your Food

Sometimes while eating food you consider delicious you may get carried away and swallow large pieces of food which will prove detrimental in the long run. Chewing is tantamount because it decreases the surface area of the food which makes it easier to swallow and prevents choking , also it requires less strong enzymes and acids located in the stomach to break down the consumed meal. These enzymes,if used too often can burn through the walls of the stomach.

References

Tips on Proportions-http://www.realtime.net/anr/10eattip.html

Tips on eating at the right time and eating healthy food

- Nestle Labs pamphlets, published 2009-http://www.ific.org/publications/brochures/tentipskidsbroch.cfm