In my previous post, I discussed how EXERCISE WAS ESSENTIAL for GOOD HEALTH. Eating good sources of healthy foods is EQUALLY important and TWICE AS DIFFICULT! The reasons include:
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Most people do not like the idea of being TOLD what they should eat.
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Most people do not like increasing their spending budgets on foods they don’t necessarily look forward to eating.
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Most people are ONLY willing to eat food for TASTE rather than NUTRITIONAL NEEDS and taste.
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Most people see food as an important part of their social entertainment (ex. date night, lady’s night out, etc…)
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Most people suffering emotional instability turn to unhealthy food to temporarily reduce emotional pain.
Think about your childhood and the time devoted to learning about your DIETARY NEEDS.
IT NEVER HAPPENED FOR MOST OF US!
If we were lucky, we were taught to eat three meals a day. We were told vegetables and fruits were “good for us” and pizza, hotdogs and hamburgers were bad for us.
We were never taught about quality nutrition or how to determine how much to eat. We were never taught anything about ratios between entree foods, vegetables and other starches and dessert type foods. We have simply gone from generation to generation mimicking food choices and eating patterns. The only difference is the quantity of foods over the years has significantly increased.
Suffice it to say, we were never taught how to EAT FOR HEALTH. Instead, we were trained to think what we’d LIKE TO EAT rather than what we NEEDED TO EAT. This has resulted in serious health conditions suffered by growing numbers of people EVERY YEAR. Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and stroke continues to rise influenced heavily by poor food choices and sedentary living.
Eating healthier doesn’t mean adding chicken or a vegetable to an unhealthy diet. It mean REPLACING unhealthy choices with healthy ones. To leave some room for reasonable compromise, I suggest a 10-20% window for “comfort foods” to reduce the difficulty in successfully transitioning from UNHEALTHY CHOICES to HEALTHY ONES.
The following is a good starting plan that provides choices and portion guidelines to help you begin a healthy eating regimen. ***Make certain you check with your QUALIFIED HEALTHCARE PROVIDER BEFORE following ANY of these ideas to make certain they fit your health needs.***
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Reblogged this on My Weight-Loss Journey and commented:
This is a really good read!
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Thank you for this read!
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Thank you so much for taking your time to read this and adding your comment. I wish you much success on your journey. If you ever have a question, don’t hesitate to ask. Always glad to share my 20+ years of professional experience with motivated people.
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Another great post! Great reminder before the holidays hit!
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The best advice I give (and practice) during the holiday season is simple. Eat LARGE portions of VEGETABLES (without gravy, butter, and oil) FIRST along with LARGE PORTIONS of fish or chicken or turkey (if available.) Then eat salad if available as your next dish (dressing on the side.) Dip the fork (not the salad) into the dressing and then into the salad. All the flavor is enjoyed with every mouthful. NOW, feel free to go back and enjoy ANY OF THE FOOD you want, but start with smaller amounts and see if appetite and flavor is satisfied. If not, get more. FINALLY, if dessert is desired, go for it.
Eating food in this order gets good quality nutrition in the body; reduces the quantity of “bad stuff,” (without deprivation because the individual becomes full) and satisfies the dessert needs as well. People are absolutely amazed they can eat anything they want, yet not experience the negative effects of MOSTLY unhealthy eating.
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Great advice. I haven’t tried this particular order, but think I will!! Thanks!
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I have used this with many patients and it has worked flawlessly. People LOVE the fact that they turn away unhealthy choices because they TRULY do not WANT THEM! This eating pattern sedates hormone cravings. When people ask how, I simply state, “when was the last time you woke in the morning desiring a hot fudge sundae? They basically say, “never.” This doesn’t mean they don’t LOVE hot fudge sundaes; it mean there hormones aren’t triggering a craving in the morning. Eating the food the way I suggest creates the same hormonal response. Most people think about this and say, “that makes sense.” When something makes sense, people are more prone to commit themselves.
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Definitely gonna try it! Thanks.
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Just remember to consume LARGE amounts of salad and vegetables FIRST. Then consume large healthy portions of meats (6-8-10oz) (with minimal gravy/sauce.) Consume (2) 12-14oz glasses of water with the vegetables and meats. If there are nuts available, have a handful. Now, eat whatever else suits your “fancy.” See if this doesn’t reduce your desire for the quantities of breads, desserts and other unhealthy holiday foods normally eaten.
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I really can’t wait to try this! I will get hubby to try it too!
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I loved the reminder at the end: “You will only get one chance at life!”
Great post.
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Thank you Tanya. Hope life is treating you well.
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Doing great! Hope the same is true for you and yours. Have a great weekend, Jonathan!
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You too! 🙂
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Thank you as always for your posts. It is so hard to do but is absolutely worth it. The more I am finding out the better I feel as I change.
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Most things in life worthwhile are HARD. If it was easy, everyone would live a healthy lifestyle. The more we learn, the more we implement, the more we begin to VALUE our HEALTH and our LIVES. We start out with FEAR and transform this emotion into AWARENESS that provides direction and ultimately RESULTS.
Keep up the good work. You ONLY have a lifetime to succeed! 🙂
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[…] via WHO EVER THOUGHT EATING HEALTHY WOULD BE THIS COMPLICATED? — All About Healthy Choices […]
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Thank you, as always, for sharing.
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I found out longer ago that when you eat healthy, you feel so much better, and the results are immediate. Nice post, Doc. ☺
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The more people that comment and share their own truth and benefits of healthy living, the more likely people will be incentivized to alter current destructive patterns in favor of constructive ones. Thank you for “adding your vote” to the category of healthy lifestyles and its impact on quality living.
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Thanks so much! While I’ve been eating healthier I’m also realizing I have some pretty big veggie gaps!
I’m trying to learn how to menu plan properly so I can eat properly and not just healthy on the surface.
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I use the morning mirror to help me stay on track. I look into it each day and ask the reflection, “am I doing what I NEED to achieve the life I DESERVE. The face that looks back reveals the ANSWER without a word ever spoken!
I hope your face reveals the TRUTH you’re looking for.
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I am big on veggies and spontaneously eat roughly in accord with items 1,2,3 in the list. Would be interested if U ever care to post more detail on item 4. (Guessing it would take a full post rather than a comment reply.) I eat whole wheat bread and whole wheat pasta much more than item 4 suggests. I also eat some raw carrot (a few of the “baby cut” size) nearly every day.
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Even better than a post would be the book by Dr. David Perlmutter, “Grain Brain.” There are plenty of skeptics (and I myself consume continue to consume wheat, quinoa, lentils, etc…,) but do so in smaller amounts as I recommended in the post. I view it from a very simple perspective. Can I obtain the necessary nutrients and maintain optimal function (without pharmaceutical intervention) without ingesting significant quantities of this category of nutrition? The answer is yes. Can this category of food contribute to an inflammatory response caused by damage to the intestinal lining. The answer again is yes. Will it always. The answer is unlikely. Why take an unnecessary chance to find out? Lab testing has proven that wheat can cause a spike up in sugar greater than a milky way bar. I suggest the average person find joys and passions in life that add quality rather than potential detriment to their lives.
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Thanks again for this informative post. I learn a lot today. I will eat more veggies now. 😀
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Glad to hear it! Your body with THANK YOU!!! 🙂
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So true, replacing unhealthy choices with healthy ones not just adding some healthy stuff. Great post
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I always appreciate you taking your time to read my posts. Thank you.
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Most welcome! You have many insights that we would be unaware of!
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I’ve had great success recently with reintroducing starchy carbs by implementing a strategy like the one you suggested: “They should be consumed in very limited quantities (1/4 cup.)”. I fell prey to Metabolic Adaptation by attempting to stay at a low carbohydrate level for too long. I agree we need to limit them but people shouldn’t get carried away either. As with everything, moderation is the key!
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Moderation is one of my favorite words. It needs, however, to be defined to help all of us approach this idea from a unified perspective. If we don’t define boundaries, it remains simply a “buzzword.”
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I find what helps, especially if I’m super busy is making a green drink. I pack the container with kale, dandelion leaves, really anything green, lemon, and ginger. To me it’s tasty. Makes me feel better that I’m getting fast nutrition without compromising my body. Another fast way for me to get protein in ate boiled eggs. I always have them on hand. Avocado is a must in my diet and snacks are a variety of nuts (less than 1/4 cup) a day. Water too. Lots of water. Another enjoyable article Jonathan. Thank you!
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It sounds like you have a good handle on dietary needs. I’m sure you are as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside. Stay healthy and happy ALWAYS!
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Thank you kindly. I hope my heart is strong and stays that way. I have too much I want to accomplish! I wish the same for you; healthy and happy always!
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As long as you continue to work on finding healthy balancing activities to reduce STRESS, I predict a quality life for you. You set a wonderful example for so many people!
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Brilliant. Brilliant, Brilliant. Although I am pretty good with my eating and as you know I love my veggies, this post just speaks volumes to me. We do only have one chance in life, and what better way than to channel our one life into a healthy fulfilled life. 🙂
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So glad this article made a positive impact on you. Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
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Thank you, you too 🙂
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Vegetables are nature’s medicine for our bodies. I can’t say enough about eating vegetables.
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People are not educated on how ESSENTIAL vegetables are. I used to tell my patients that I HATED VEGETABLES, yet ate 5-8 servings EVERY DAY. For me to consume that much of something I don’t like, it MUST BE IMPORTANT!
Life isn’t always about instant enjoyment. Sometimes it’s about committing to necessities that RESULT in ENJOYMENT!
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Great post Jonathan…..love my vegetables and still have trouble getting enough protein….but thinking about putting whey back into my diet….kat
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I like your choice of protein, especially after exercise. Just be certain the whey is an addition to healthy meals with adequate protein content. It is NOT a substitute!
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I actually hate whey so its no way an ongoing substitute, its more like in lieu of when I don’t get enough protein….thanks for always thinking of me and helping
me…
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I am on a challenge (weight loss challenge) I’m not obese just over weight. It’s starts in February. But I have started mentally and physically preparing myself. I also from eating healthy got my sugar from 10 to 5.5 so I’m happy with that. Oh and now that I only drink water I feel so much more energized and awake
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Sounds like you’re moving in the right direction.
If you want to SUCCEED at a weight loss challenge, DON’T THINK IN TERMS OF WEIGHT LOSS! Think in terms of doing what it takes to BECOME AND STAY HEALTHY. Weight gain is only a SYMPTOM of an underlying condition. Treating the symptom doesn’t prevent it from recurring (yo-yo dieting.) Live a REALISTIC lifestyle based on HEALTH NEEDS and the weight “fixes” itself. It also becomes a LONG TERM solution!
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So far with eating healthy I haven’t gained and weight but I have gained muscle. I also try just take it a notch down because Im breastfeeding (only loose about 400-500 grams a week) but I’m happy with that, to me it’s more about changing my lifestyle than loosing the weight.
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Smart attitude. If the lifestyle is appropriate for your body’s needs, the weight takes care of itself.
You’re also wise doing things incrementally. This gives your body a chance to adapt and accept changes more easily.
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[…] Who ever thought eating healthy would be this complicated? […]
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Thank you for sharing this article with your readers. I appreciate youe effort passing on these important ideas.
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