Start Eating Healthy for a Better Life

So what do people usually eat in the morning? It depends on what you do. If you are the typical nine to fiver, it is usually coffee and donuts, or a bagel. Some folks eat a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice. Besides the orange juice none of these things are good for you. As everybody knows, coffee is a stimulant that is high in caffeine. It's good in the short run, but not in the long run. Donuts are just full of sugar and bagels are full of flour. In these times especially, people are usually in a rush to get things done, so taking the time to eat slows you down. It's ever important to eat right ALL the time. People think that eating right is hard work, but to make the change is simple and very important to your well-being.

Let's start with breakfast. Sugar does give you energy, but it is not long lasting. Replace it with glucose instead, a natural version of sugar. Glucose can be found in many fruits. Add apples, peaches, grapes to your breakfast. Not only is it a good way to get energy in the morning, you get more fiber and your stomach is fuller. You just can't stay away from bagels? Try to buy the whole wheat or multi-grain bagels. Even a blueberry bagel. It is much healthier than a plain old white bagel, and you get more fiber in your diet! If you are the typical, gotta have cereal type of person for breakfast, why not eat a banana with it? I eat a multi-grain cereal with a fruit. You usually get all the vitamins and minerals you need in one serving! Good cereals for breakfast are the ones with, grains, oats, and fiber. These give you natural energy to start the day off right.

Liquids, juices and shakes: With milk it is best to go for 2 percent milk. WHAT!? Yes, I know most of you hate 2 percent, but it is a lot healthier than whole milk, vitamin D milk and vitamin A milk. You ever read the side of a cereal box, that part that says 'Nutritional Content'? The part with per serving? Somewhere around there it says cereal serving and cereal serving with skim milk or low fat milk. Probably because low fat milk is healthier for you.... Orange juice is great for the morning. Or cranberry, grape, peach or pineapple. These juices have plenty of glucose. Shakes are a great way to drink your breakfast. Blend strawberries apples, low fat milk, bananas, blueberries, or any of these in a custom combination to make a tasty drink.

Lunchtime: The people that work usually by food at some fast food place or a restaurant, right? A salad is a good lunch, but not one made entirely with iceberg lettuce. Switch to romaine, or a garden mix with red cabbage, carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes.In some places you can add chicken to it, making it much for filling. Try to go for the low fat salad dressing. Or oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. And you save time too, it doesn't take that long to order a salad. You can order a chicken wrap, or tacos. Pizza is good for lunch. PIZZA!? It sounds crazy, but it depends on what you order. Pizza is fattening due to the grease from the cheese. All you have to do to reduce fat intake is dab the top of your pizza slices with clean napkins. This soaks up a lot of the fat that would otherwise go to your arteries. Pizza has protein, carbohydrates, and antioxidants. Impossible you say!? Tomatoes are high in antioxidants, so if you order your pizza with extra sauce, good for you! Good toppings are black olives, green peppers, red peppers, tomatoes, chicken, mushrooms, and pineapples. You can't go wrong with the classic Peanut-butter and Jelly sandwich.

Dinner: The mother of all meals, just about anything is eaten. It's best to go with the three course meal. Some thing with a protein, a carbohydrate, and vegetable. This way, it is well balanced and good for you. Pork chops are OK, but only in moderation. 6 ounces a serving or less is good. Beef is great, but try to buy the leanest meat possible. 7 ounces is fine. Chicken is great, a good source of protein and low in fat. 9 ounces is fine. You can't go wrong with fish, high in protein and low in fat. 8 ounces is good. If there is anything that people eat the most of it's carbohydrates. What are they? Anything that is made with any kind of flour can be a carbohydrate. Breads, cereal bagels, tortillas, bagels, pasta, corn chips, potato chips, potatoes and more. Pasta is a good way to get your carbs, and some protein. Potatoes are good, provided that you don't load them up with butter and sour cream. Brown rice is healthy. When it comes to bread, there is a wide selection. It's best to go with whole wheat, stone ground, oats, or a grain mix. A salad with dark greens is the way to go. Tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, carrots, spinach leaves and green peppers are great choices for vegetables. Never eat the canned veggies, as this is loaded with preservatives. A glass of juice or low fat milk is an essential part of dinner as well.

Snacks: Who doesn't ? Instead of chips, soda and junk food, try white corn chips or popcorn. Mixed nuts are a great snack, full of protein and minerals. Raisins, grapes, and dried cranberries are good too. Dried fruits are a good snack a well.

Cooking methods, oils, and butters: The way that you PREPARE and COOK a lot of your foods determine whether or not your are eating healthy. Canola oil is great for cooking, and much healthier for you than vegetable or corn oil. When cooking with butter, it is best to get REAL butter. Most folks get margarine or spread. Not only is this not healthy for you, you waste time because you have to constantly keep adding it to the pan as you cook. Real butter stays much longer in the pan under heat. The key here is to cook with a minimum amount of oil and butter.

Sodium and Fat: This ingredient causes a lot of havoc in a persons body. Chances are your cabinet and freezer are loaded with foodstuff that contain a lot of sodium. Salty things are mighty tempting, but not good for you. When you go to purchase items, look at the Nutritional Content label on it. Out of all the ingredients to watch out for, look for sodium and fat. If the sodium is twenty-six percent or more, it's best not to get it. Why? In high intake, sodium absorbs the things your body needs. Also, factoring in the other things that you eat and the amount of sodium those have. I'm sure you will have plenty of sodium for the day. But the goal is to DECREASE your sodium intake, not raise it. As far is fat is concerned, there are usually three on the label. The one to keep an eye on is the saturated fat. This can get clogged in the arteries. Of course, if the total fat is higher than thirty percent, it is not wise to buy it. Again, combined with your overall food intake for the day, you have to take everything into consideration.

The Cons: Normally people would list the good news, right? Not here. I figure the bad news is best said first, then make it a little better with the good news. High sodium intake can lead to high blood pressure, leading to strokes in certain individuals. It also makes you feel weak, since all your nutrients and minerals in the bloodstream are robbed by the sodium. This in turn weakens your immune system, which causes you to get sick more often. Which leads you to losing money, since you have to stay home to get better. Eating food with a lot of sugar, like donuts, caramel, and cake products all the time can lead to diabetes. Some folks lose an or leg. Seriously. Some gain weight from diabetes. Eating food in high fat content can clog the arteries, which leads to strokes and heart attacks. This lead to death to some people.

The Pros: The best part of this whole article!! Having a well balanced diet helps you live longer. You sleep better and have more energy throughout the day. You are able to think more clearly. Because of the increase in fiber, you are able to cleanse your body out better. You are at a much less risk for a stroke, heart attack, and your immune system is stronger.

The Cost: Surprisingly, to make a change to eating right is not that costly. Try to buy the middle price items when it comes to carbs, protein, and veggies. The name brand items are essentially the same thing as all the other brands. Keep an eye out for specials. Chicken and tuna are usually cheap, and pasta is always low cost.

Gecko Joe, Start eating healthy for a better life Associated Content