Changing How You Eat

As you may know, not fueling up with the right
nutrients can affect how well your body performs
and your overall fitness benefits. Even though
healthy eating is important, there are myths that
hinder your performance if you listen to them.

Below, you'll find some myth busters on healthy
eating.

1. Working out on an empty stomach.
If you hear a rumbling noise in your stomach, the
rumbling is trying to tell you something. Without
listening to them, you are forcing your body to
run without any fuel. Before you exercise or do
any physical activity, always eat a light snack
such as an apple.

2. Relying on energy bars and drinks.
Although they are fine every once in a while, they
don't deliver the antioxidants you need to prevent
cancer. Fruits and vegetables are your best bets,
as they are loaded in vitamins, minerals, fluid,
and fiber.

3. Skipping breakfast.
Skipping breakfast is never a good idea, as
breakfast starts the day. Your body needs fuel
as soon as possible, and without it, you'll be
hungry throughout the day.

4. Low carb diets.
Your body needs carbohydrates for your muscles and
the storing of energy.

5. Eating what you want.
Eating healthy and exercising doesn't give you an
all access pass to eat anything you want. Everyone
needs the same nutrients whether they exercise or
not, as well as fruits and vegetables.

6. Not enough calories
Although losing weight involves calories, losing
it too quickly is never safe. What you should do,
is aim for 1 - 2 pounds a week. Always make sure
that you are getting enough calories to keep your
body operating smoothly. If you start dropping
weight too fast, eat a bit more food.

7. Skip soda and alcohol.
Water, milk, and juice is the best to drink for
active people. You should drink often, and not
require on thirst to be an indicator. By the time
you get thirsty, your body is already running a
bit too low.

Changing how you eat is always a great step
towards healthy eating and it will affect how your
body performs. The healthier you eat, you better
you'll feel. No matter how old you may be, healthy
eating is something you should strive for. Once
you give it a chance, you'll see in no time at
all just how much it can change your life - for the
better.

Tips For Healthy Eating

Healthy eating is a way of balancing the food you
eat to keep your body in great health. With healthy
eating, you'll have energy all day, get the vitamins
and minerals you need, stay strong for activities
you enjoy, and maintain a healthy weight.

Below, you'll find tips designed to help you with
healthy eating.

1. Don't skip any meals
Eating 3 meals with snacks in between is the ideal
way to maintain both energy and a healthy weight.
When you skip meals and get hungry, you're more
than likely to choose foods that aren't very good
for you.

If you are eating away from home, take food with
you or know where you can buy healthy food from.

2. Learn about how to prepare foods
Instead of deep frying, try grilling, stir frying,
microwaving, baking, and even boiling. You should
also try fresh or even dried herbs and spices to
add flavor to your food. Before you eat any type
of meat, be sure to trim the fat and skin off of
it.

3. Avoid a lot of sugar
Drinks that contain sugar are a major source of
empty energy. What this means, is that the drinks
contain a lot of energy that your body may not
need, and it doesn't contain any vitamins or
minerals. If you plan to drink sugary drinks,
don't go overboard - limit yourself to 1 a day.

4. Avoid thinking about diets
There are no good food nor any bad foods. All
food can be a part of a healthy diet, when eaten
in moderation. You don't need to buy any low
carb, fat free, or even diet foods, as these foods
normally have lots of other added ingredients
to replaces the carbohydrates or fat.

Eating Healthy When Eating Out

If you go out to a restaurant to eat, you probably
watch your calories very closely. To assist you
with your calorie watching when dining out, these
tips will help you make the most of it.

- Always order salad dressings or sauces on the side,
as this way you have control over how much you add
to your meal.

- When you order grilled fish or vegetables, you
should ask that the food be grilled without butter
or oil, or prepared with very little or either or.

- Anytime you order pasta dishes, be on the lookout
for tomato based sauces instead of the cream based
sauces. Tomato based sauces are much lower in fat
and calories, and tomato sauce can even be counted
as a vegetable!

- You should always try to drink water, diet soda,
or tea instead of soda or beverages that contain
alcohol.

- If you order dessert, share with a friend. Half
of the dessert will equal half of the calories.

- When you choose a soup, remember that cream
based soups are higher in fat and calories than
other soups. A soup can be a great appetizer, as
most are low in calories and you fill you up pretty
fast.

- When ordering a baked potato, ask for salsa instead
of sour cream, butter, cheese, or even bacon. Salsa
is very low in calories and provides a healthy
alternative with plenty of flavor and spice.

- When you are full, stop eating. Listen to your
body and what it tells you.

- If you get full, take half of your meal home.
The second portion of your meal can serve as a second
meal later. This way, you get two meals for the
price of one.

- If you're looking to eat less, order two appetizers
or an appetizer and a salad as your meal.

- If you get a choice of side dishes, get a baked
potato or steamed vegetables instead of french
fries.

- Always look for food on the menu that's baked,
grilled, broiled, poached, or steamed. These types
of cooking use less fat in the cooking process and
are usually much lower in calories.

- Plain bread or rolls are low in both fat and
calories. When you add the butter and oil, you
increase the fat and calorie intake.

- As key ingredients to your meal, choose dishes
with fruits and vegetables. Both fruits and
vegetables are great sources of dietary fiber as
well as many vitamins and minerals.

- Choose foods made with whole grains, such as
whole wheat bread and dishes made with brown rice.

- If you crave dessert, look for something with
low fat, such as berries or fruit.

- Always remember not to deprive yourself of the
foods you truly love. All types of foods can fit
into a well balanced diet.