Healthy eating habits for those who hate diets

With an active social life, it's tough for me to give up on fries, fried chicken or the thick pan pizza. Result, Guilt laden sleepless nights. Too bad I do not believe in forced belching and slimming tea/drinks that make you want to go to the bathroom all the time. I mean, if its not normal then I shouldn't be doing it.

So what to do about the excess salt, oil and cholesterol that's on my mind after a night out.

- Moderation.

Eat small portions of food and eat often. Getting gung - ho one day and switching to an all protein diet will screw up your kidneys. and Living on Granola bars can lead to increased LP levels from processed carbs and bloating, causing digestion issues.

So the best thing to do is to have a balance in your intake.

- Decrease the amount of Fat you take in.

1.Eating out and have a really oily pizza? Take a paper napkin and blot off the oil. Order light cheese. Blot of oil and salt from Chicken, french fries, burger patty that's not already Sauce/ mayonnaise laden. and Don't be shy. Health first!

2. Do away with Mayonnaise - go for olive oil, Mustard sauce to keep the sandwich moisture in tact.

3. You know the liquid/ preservative in your jar of olives you brought from the store? Great for Salad dressing instead of the fatty, mayo laden regular dressing. Another option, soak crushed pepper, thyme and your favorite spices in vinegar, store in a bottle for your personal specialty Salad dressing. You'll feel much happier!

4. Burnt skin/ deep fried skin of chicken is the yummiest in the world, I know, but that's also where all the fat is. Making chicken at home, remove the skin and enjoy without the bite of your conscience.

5. Team up green vegetables with your beef/ lamb. I'm sure I don't have to explain why vegetables are good for you. You should eat them cuz your momma said so. However, Potatoes do NOT qualify as vegetables. they are loaded with bad carbs. Beets, Carrots and Eggplants also have high carbohydrates. So if you looking for adding Fiber, Potassium, Vitamin A & C, Folic Acid and other nutrients, you can choose Green and red cabbage, Bok choys, spinach, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, Celery etc.

Watch out for vegetables that definitely need to be organic in order to avoid intake of pesticides, sewage sludge and ionization radiation etc. Note: Not All veggies have to organic in order to be safe.

6. Try Breakfast without butter / margarine and enjoy your whole - wheat breads with jams/ preserves.

Now we all know, if there is candy in the fridge there will be candy in the belly at some point. Sudden pangs of hunger, food ads on TV and sudden bites of hunger, and you are grabbing at that near expired bar of caramel chocolate or that bag of chips.

Keep your kitchen racks and fridge ready for hunger pangs and stock it up with the good stuff. Have your own salsa dips with little or no salt, avocados, olives, chillies tomatoes blended, mustard seeds, tamarind/ dates/ grapes/ coriander any kinda combination to achieve the tangy/ salty/ sweet, creamy taste you like. Go for celery sticks instead of chips. Or pack Lettuce with your salsa/ cut up some soy and place on top to make visually attractive and very yummy munchies. If you have these readymade in your fridge, you wont reach for unhealthy quick-fixes.

Walk to the Library, light grocery needs or to the video rental , if its within a mile. You'll feel great about being outdoors, save gas and also work off any sugar and fat you have taken in that you could do without.

Liquid Integrity

Sodas are all sugar and food coloring and nothing good can come out it. It is essential to take in 8 to 10 glasses of liquid, and sugar free fruit juices (not smoothies) and plain water with your meals can go a long way to cut down on the bad stuff. Sugar in your tea and coffee is not really needed, and if you like it like that, train your brain to think you LOVE coffee without sugar. It grows on you. Trust me I was a fan of Caramel Macchiatto. Emphasis: Was.

You don't have to give up the good stuff altogether

With a regular healthy lifestyle without counting calories, you can treat yourself to a great night-out with friends, without giving anyone at the table (including yourself) a guilt trip. The Occasional Ice-cream treat and caramel pop-corn at the movies is all good, because you are good to your body.

If you are a regular walker/ Runner, your muscles need Carbohydrates and hence you should take in Good cards found in Sesame seed crackers, brown rice, whole wheat grains.

Allow time before running / walking for your food to digest. The golden rule is to wait at least 3 to 4 hours after a large meal and an hour after small snacks.

Post running - replenish your body with orange juice or a snack with Milk and Banana.