Tools for Healthy Living/Healthy Diet

Healthy Diet

"We are what we eat" says the ancient Indian system of health and well being called Ayurveda. In our modern day and age, we don't seem to be paying very much attention to our foods (how they are made) and our body (what we eat). I find that schools and homes both encourage poor choice of foods. Follow these simple steps to get you and your family back to healthy eating. Healthy Eating can protect your body from a variety of diseases including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Simple Dos and Don'ts

5 Simple Dos

• Eat a balanced diet (US Food pyramid) consisting of 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables and small portions.
• Buy Organic Foods (Fruits, Vegetables, Milk) (Pesticides in Fruits/Veggies) with USDA Seal in your Saturday markets or elsewhere.
• Read Ingredients and choose whole grain products (whole wheat bread over white bread or brown rice over white rice) and high GI (Glycemic Index) foods
• Increase the consumption of Omega Fatty Acids (found naturally in fish, walnuts, flax seed)
• Drink Plenty of Fluids (Filtered Water, Green or Herbal Tea) and Take Supplements

5 Simple Don'ts

• Don't Buy products that use partially hydrogenated oils (a.k.a. Trans Fat) and high fructose corn syrup (a.k.a. HFCS)
• Don't eat a lot of High GI foods
• Don't drink several glasses of fluids that are not healthy (coffee, coke, etc.)
• Don't Eat when you are not hungry

More Do's

• Utilize Green Leafy Vegetables
• Go with high fiber foods (fruits/vegetables over highly processed foods).
• Switch to Green or White Tea instead of Coffee/Tea.
• Using Olive Oil instead of Corn/Sunflower oil in your foods
• Use Flax oil
• What about coconut oil? Coconut Oil Research suggests that Coconut oil has health benefits.
• Incorporate Anti Inflammatory foods (ginger, turmeric, broccoli, garlic) into your diet.
• Use brown rice instead of white rice.

More Don'ts

• Dont buy berries (blueberries, strawberries) or other thin skinned fruit's non-organic. They contain the highest residue of pesticides.
• Don't consume foods that are deep fried on a regular basis.
• Don't Buy products that have high fructose corn syrup (a.k.a. HFCS)

Shopping

Find a grocery store that stocks natural and organic food. Whole Foods is one of them.

Costco Shopping

In the US Costco has started to carry numerous organic and healthy choices. If you are a Costco shopper in the US, look for the following items (Organic Brown Basmati Rice, Organic Flaxseed, Organic Oatmeal, Organic Cereal, Organic Soymilk). There are produce such as Bananas that I have found that are Organic.

Recipes

A 52 week plan

• Breakfast: Eggs, Oats, Cereal sugar is a bad way to start the day
• Lunch: Bread, cheese, tuna fish
• Snack: Cheese Sandwich with tomato
• Dinner: Grilled chicken, green beans, sweet potato, corn

Health/Food/Case Studies

• A friend reduces his triglycerides by reducing his rice consumption and increasing his Omega-3's
• I lost 9 lbs over 6 weeks by incorporating healthy foods into my diet.
• Your own case study.

Resources

• US Food pyramid
• Pesticides in Fruits/Veggies