Dieting and Eating Healthy Go Hand in Hand

Dieting and eating healthy means including a good variety of nutritious foods in your diet. Such foods are whole grain bread, pasta, fruits and vegetables. Eating a good breakfast each day should also be a stable part of any healthy eating diet.

Here are some tips for dieting and eating healthy:

1. A healthy diet creates the ultimate conditions in which fat can be burned more easily. It will also insure that you never feel hungry. That’s why it is important to eat 3 healthy meals a day that include several servings of fruits and vegetables, low-fat protein, and whole wheat grains. Add 2 small snacks in between and drink lots of water.

2. Learn to control the portions of food you eat. By eating five times each day you will be eating enough to satisfy your hunger. But you will also need to know how much you can eat in relation to your body size. There is a very easy way that this can be achieved. The best way of judging if the size of the portion is too big or small is by using your hand. The right size portion for you should be the size of your fist or the palm of your hand.

3. You will also need to include fat, carbohydrates and protein in your diet. The best way of doing this is by eating things which are grown naturally in the earth and avoid additives and sugar. So it is vital each of your meals should include each of these items. For example, a healthy meal could include salmon, brown rice and vegetables.

4. You should drink lots of ice cold water every day - 6 to 8 glasses is optimal. Many people who think they are hungry are often thirsty instead. By drinking plenty of ice cold water you are actually stopping the “thirst pangs,” which in turn stops you from feeling hungry.

If you dieting and eating healthy you will also need to include exercise in to your plans. You need to have a good balance between your food intake and exercise in order to maintain a healthy body weight. 30 minutes of aerobic exercise each day, such as walking, is a good way to get started.

When your child moves away from home for the first time it can be difficult for you to ensure that they are still eating as healthy as they did at home. But in this article we will provide a few eating healthy food tips that you can send with your teen when they leave to go to college or university.

1. Ensure that they eat a good breakfast. Studies carried out have shown that those who skipped breakfast underachieve while studying. So if they do not have time to sit down and enjoy a meal then get them to grab a bagel or a piece of fruit and some juice instead. It is quite easy for them to keep such items in their dorm room.

2. Since most teens like to eat fast food, show them how to choose their food more wisely. For example when ordering a pizza get one with half the cheese on it. Also limit the amount of high fat food they have by reducing the number of times they have fries, fried chicken etc. Most fast food restaurants these days do have some healthier alternatives.

3. Get them to keep healthy snacks close at hand so if they get hungry while cramming late for an exam the next day they won’t be tempted to go to the vending machine down the hall. They could keep a stock of fresh or dried fruit, pretzels, unbuttered popcorn, rice cakes or whole wheat crackers handy. If they happen to have a refrigerator in their dorm room they could get some raw vegetables which they can then dip in to either low fat yogurt or cottage cheese.

4. Make sure that they eat plenty of foods rich in calcium. People in their early 20’s need to build up a store of calcium in their bodies in order to prevent them getting osteoporosis later in life. If they happen to dislike milk, then get them to have low fat yogurt, low fat cheese and plenty of green leafy vegetablesas part of their diet.

These are just a few of the eating healthy food tips that your child may want to include in their diet when they move away from home or go off to college.

The important aspect of cooking healthy meals is to choose the right kinds of foods and prepare them properly. Remember a nutritious meal doesn't have to be tasteless. There are plenty of cooking tips which can help turn you into a healthy cook.

The biggest secret to ensure that you are producing healthy meals is to figure our how to skim the fat or calories from the meal you are preparing. What is important to remember is that you can lighten up any recipe without losing the flavor. You don’t need to start cooking meals from scratch. You can use convenience foods as long as you add a few healthy ingredients to it.

To ensure that any meals you prepare are full of healthy vitamins, minerals and disease-fighting anti-oxidants, choose the most nutrient-rich foods you can find as the basis for your recipes. Also you can try one of your favorite recipes and use healthy substitutes in place of those that may be high in fat, sugar and calories.

Any healthy cooking you do should start with healthy ingredients. Try simple foods such as whole grains (brown rice, wild rice etc.,) as they will provide a nutty taste to any meal as well as being flavorful and satisfying. Plus they are part of the complex carbohydrates group so they are also a good source of fiber, vitamins, minerals and vegetable protein. These are especially healthy to cook as they are only boiled in water and take between 20 to 45 minutes to prepare.

Vegetables are an essential part of cooking and eating healthy and they contain an abundant source of vitamins, minerals and fibers. Plus the more starchy vegetables are a good source of complex carbohydrates as well as being low in fat and calories. There are even some, such as lima beans, peas, corn, spinach, broccoli, kale and sprouts which contain a significant amount of protein. The best way to cook these would be by steaming as they will retain a lot more of their minerals, vitamins and fiber essential to keep our bodies healthy.

As you can see there is a very close relationship to be found between cooking and eating healthy.