| For most people, maintaining a desirable
weight and body fat percentage can only be achieved through an integrated program of nutrition and
exercise-or balancing energy intake with energy expenditure. To reduce weight and body fat
requires cutting back on calories and increasing the amount of exercise. Dieting alone
won't work. Even when a person's weight-control system has genetic flaws that may respond
to newly available pharmaceuticals, proper nutrition and plenty of exercise is still part
of the prescription for health. Food Pyramid
Most Americans have more than enough to eat, but many people don't
eat a healthy range of foods. Consuming too many calories from any kind of food source can produce fat. One of
the best models for healthy eating is represented in the Food Pyramid. To get the proper
daily nutritional value:
- Eat a variety of foods
- Eat a high-fiber diet (choose more grains, fruits and
vegetables instead of protein, fats and sugar)
- Maintain a low-fat, low-cholesteral diet (eat no more than 30% of calories from fat,
including only 10% from saturated fat)
- Use moderate amounts of salt and sodium and choose sugar
substitutes
- Limit alcoholic intake
Breaking Old Habits
Often the first step to a good diet lies in changing food
and eating behavior:
- Don't skip meals
- Eat a series of small meals throughout the day and avoid a
big meal late in the evening
- Eat and chew slowly
- Use a smaller-sized plate to achieve a "full
plate"
- Don't go back for seconds
- Bake or broil food instead of frying
- Order from light menus and purchase low-calorie or low-fat
foods
(remember that low-fat does not necessarily mean low-calorie)
- Learn about food values and make healthy combinations in
meals
- Weigh yourself regularly and focus on measuring body fat
percentage
- Reward yourself with non-food pleasures
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