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The best way to lose weight and be healthy is to eat whole foods. No More Dieting - Forever
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Most people are familiar with the "Top Ten List" regularly presented by that late-night talk show
host from Indiana. Although his lists tend to be tongue-in-cheek and irreverent, the following is a
top ten list with some real gravitas. Without any drum roll or special music, here is the list of Top
10 tips for Healthy Eating:
Number 10 on the list of 10 Tips to Healthy Eating is:
Eat fresh, whole foods whenever possible. When I was a kid, I was fascinated by the futuristic
cartoon show "The Jetsons," especially the part where they ate their meals, which, rather than
being real food, consisted of little pills dispensed by a clever machine. A roast beef pill, a mashed
potato pill, with an apple pie pill for dessert. Although we haven't gotten there yet, there is so much
in the grocery store aisles these days that would barely qualify as real food, when you take into
account its nutritional value, lack of fiber and the potentially harmful ingredients it contains. Even if
you are on a limited budget, try to choose as many fresh, whole foods as you can afford, and
leave the over-processed, "futuristic" foods on the shelf. I don't think much of the Jetsons' concept
of food, but I would like one of those robot maids to clean my house!
Number 9 on the list of 10 Tips to Healthy Eating is:
Buy local, and even organic, if possible. There is a whole movement out there of people who are
choosing to buy from local growers and foregoing out-of-season items and items shipped in from
far away places. The advantages of this choice are many. Your food will be fresher, cost less, you
will support your local economy and you will have fewer worries about the growing practices that
may affect the healthfulness of your food. Along with that, the advantage of buying from farms and
orchards that are not only local, but also organic, is that you will be consuming fewer toxins for
your body to contend with and encouraging fewer chemicals to be added to our soil and water.
Number 8 on the list of 10 Tips to Healthy Eating is:
Eat lots of fresh, colorful vegetables-either raw or lightly cooked. Vegetables are at the core of any
healthy eating plan, and the substances that give them their vivid color seem to protect against
many health-destroying maladies. Vegetables are loaded with nutrients, low in calories and are
available in so many varieties as to satisfy any palate. Keep in mind that cooking can destroy
some of the nutritional value in vegetables, so choose methods such as steaming or lightly
sautéing whenever possible. When you were a kid, and your mom said, "Eat your
vegetables," she was giving you excellent advice!
Number 7 on the list of 10 Tips to Healthy Eating is:
2. Wash all fresh produce with a commercial vegetable rinse-sometimes called a "Veggie Wash" -or
a weak solution of vinegar and water. (I have also heard that baking soda works, but I have never
tried it.) Don't just use plain water. Even if you are removing the skin, such as with melons or
avocados, wash the item first to avoid contaminating the inner flesh. It goes without saying, that
you should keep meat separate from fresh produce, both in the refrigerator and during
preparation, sanitizing your utensils and cutting boards in between. I would not recommend using
dish soap or other poisonous products to wash fresh produce. Instead, use a product that will kill
the germs, but will not harm you, should any residue inadvertently remain on the food. It would be
counter-productive to get rid of the bacteria only to get sick from the soap!
Number 6 on the list of 10 Tips to Healthy Eating is:
Limit your consumption of meat by treating it more as a condiment or side dish. Even if you are a
meat lover, it is better to eat smaller portions in favor of items from the other food groups, including
whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits. It does not take a lot of meat to provide your protein
requirements for a meal-some experts say a serving the size of a regular deck of cards will do-and
many of the other foods you eat have some protein, too. In this way, you can reduce the amount of
artery-clogging, saturated fat in your diet as well as increase your intake of fiber and other
nutrients, and make your meal easier to digest. You might even try some meatless meals once in
a while! After all, even Popeye ate a meal of spinach at least once on every show!
Number 5 on the list of 10 Tips to Healthy Eating is:
Know the difference between good carbs and bad ones. Although carbs in general have gotten a
bad reputation with the popularity of the low-carb diets, your body needs carbohydrates to be
healthy. Then again, there are what we might call "good carbs" and "bad carbs." Good carbs are
all those wonderful fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes that you know about, while bad
carbs are the white flour products, such as cookies, pastries, doughnuts, cakes, pies, chips-you
get the drift. A rule of thumb is, if it's in the lunchroom at work as a birthday treat or in a vending
machine, it is probably a bad carb-except, of course if the birthday boy is the office health-nut or
the vending machine is at the health foods store!
Number 4 on the list of 10 Tips to Healthy Eating is:
Eat healthy fats. I was visiting a friend recently, and she told me her grandmother, who lived to be
ninety, grew up on cooking done exclusively with lard. I knew her grandmother, and she was a
diminutive, feisty old lady who never sat still and worked like a Trojan all her life. Unfortunately, we
are all not like that. It's possible that if you are extremely active, eat simple, unprocessed food all
your life, grown on yours or your neighbor's farm, cooked in lard (that you probably rendered
yourself), and you have good genes, you will also live to be ninety. However, the odds are against
you. More studies than I can cite, have shown that consuming more mono-unsaturated fats, such
as olive oil, instead of the more saturated varieties, will significantly lower your risk of developing
heart disease and even some cancers. I know. I know. Lard still makes the flakiest piecrust. If only
your arteries got a vote!
Number 3 on the list of 10 Tips to Healthy Eating is:
Choose more fiber-rich foods. Even if you are sick of hearing the word fiber, it's better than being
3. sick from not getting enough of this important carbohydrate. It's not difficult to get sufficient fiber if
you know what you are doing. Each time you choose whole grain over processed grains, each
time you eat a piece of fruit instead of a piece of candy, each time you snack on raw veggies
instead of potato chips, each time you order a bean burrito instead of a chicken one, you have
added fiber to your diet. Even a sesame seed bun has more fiber than a plain one. Put some
blueberries on your cereal. Have a baked sweet potato. Add some shredded zucchini to your
pancake batter. Every little bit helps you to reach the 25-30 grams of fiber recommended for adults
each day. In addition to the health benefits of getting enough fiber, just think, with all that time you
won't be spending in the "throne" room, waiting for-well you know-you could maybe take up a new
hobby!
Number 2 on the list of 10 Tips to Healthy Eating is:
Limit junk food, and if possible, find a healthy but satisfying substitute. In case you're wondering,
"junk food" is all of those over-processed, empty-calorie foods that we love to eat. It may not be
easy for you, but you can change your palate to prefer healthier foods. One thing you can do is to
find a healthier substitute for your favorite junk foods. For instance, when was the last time you
popped some popcorn in a little oil with a bit of good quality unprocessed salt? It tastes wonderful
and it's a whole food without the chemicals or additives or anything that would adulterate it into a
junk food. Of course, it still has calories, but just remember to eat it in moderation. I have one of
those old-fashioned poppers that stirs the oil and seeds while they pop, but my dad used to make
the best popcorn in a Dutch oven on the stove. Try it, you'll like it!
And the Number 1 item on the list of 10 Tips to Healthy Eating is:
Drink water as your beverage of choice. Years ago, when bottled water first hit as a beverage
choice on fast food menus and in vending machines, I can remember a friend being shocked that I
would actually pay money for water. Soda she could understand, but water? I told her then that
water is a better value for your money than soda, and I still believe that. Our bodies need water to
function well. Not soda. Not energy drinks. Not coffee. Not juice. Not tea. Clean, pure water. Of
course, when we drink any liquids, or even when we eat juicy foods, we get some water. The
problem is that everything that we eat or drink except water has to be digested and filtered and
processed in varying degrees by our bodies, and that requires-you guessed it-more water! So,
don't save that beautiful stemware just for when you are drinking wine. Fill a glass to the brim with
the best beverage around-ice cold, crystal clear, thirst quenching water-and relax and sip your way
to vibrant health
I am convinced that what we eat and how we eat plays a major role in how we feel and
particularly, how well we are. For this reason, I would like as many people as possible to become
more aware of what healthy eating involves, and of the extreme benefits that can be found in
being conscious of what and how we eat.
Eat and be healthy with my warmest regards,
Suzy Staywell
