With so many people giving “healthy advice” on healthy eating now days, it’s disseminate between what is good information and what isn’t. Just recently the FDA has decided to start cracking down on “fruit drinks” promoting themselves as healthy, but are still loaded with sugar and unnecessary carbohydrates. While most of this advice and information comes with well intentions, make sure you understand and trust the source before you subscribe to any information you might read. Regardless of the advice, almost all creditable medical experts agrees on some basic fundamentals.
Here’s some down and dirty healthy eating tips. First, try to emphasize vegetables first and limit your intake of particular (high sugar) fruits. Fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants–nutrients which help neutralize toxins in the body. Generally speaking, brightly colored fruits and vegetables contain the highest levels of antioxidants: for example, yellow, orange, and dark green vegetables; citrus fruits; and some vegetables like those in the cabbage family, such as broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. This isn’t to say we shouldn’t enjoy fruits in our daily diet, just remember vegetable generally don’t contain as much sugar and carbs need to be burnt off through exercise. Need some ideas on how much to eat: Eat two to four pieces of fresh fruit every day, and fill half of your plate with vegetables at any meal. Doing so will help you get your daily allowance.
Fruits and vegetables are also very high in all kids of other good stuff such as Vitamin C, which is supportive of the immune system, is abundant in strawberries, oranges, and bell peppers. Sweet potatoes, and winter squash are a powerful source of beta-carotene, which is important for vision. Green leafy vegetables support the health of our bones and teeth, amongst other things, with high levels of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin K.
Second, since everyone’s body composition is different, eat the amount and combination of whole foods that make you feel your best. There are so many different approaches to healthy eating. At MedShape we subscribe to a high-protein diet with lots of non-starchy vegetables and few carbohydrates during weight loss. This type not only promotes weight loss, it provides protein which builds lean muscle mass.
I’m sure we’ve all read about the benefits of organic foods. Well, the facts don’t lie. Organic foods are really good for you and qualify as healthy eating! While the use of pesticides and GMO’s in our food supply does produce a higher yield, but we’re not entirely sure of the long term effects these chemicals and procedures have on the body. Additionally, studies have shown that children who grow up eating organic foods have lower levels of toxic chemicals in their bodies than those raised eating conventional foods.
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