Five Big Steps Towards Creating Effective Healthy Eating Plans

There are so many healthy eating plans, fad-diets, weight loss programs and such around today it is hardly surprising that you might be left feeling rather confused about what you should and should not be eating.

Whilst an opportunity should never pass to recall that for those seeking an effective diet that will result in weight loss the overall aim should be to achieve an energy deficit. That is to say you need to consume less energy (in calories) than you use through activity, on a daily basis. This is the only way you lose weight in reality. But any weight loss program should always also be a healthy eating plan..

In fact there are certain key things that you should do when it comes to modifying your diet and improving your food habits that can profoundly influence your general health. A few simple (if not always easy!) changes can provide you with the basis of healthy eating plans that will benefit your wellness and well-being, as well as help you lose a few pounds!

The fact is that people have generally drifted into poor eating habits because it is all too easy (at least in the developed Western world) to be tempted by the sophisticated marketing of food manufacturers and purveyors. Most grocery superstores run offers that are hard to resist and it now seems the norm to fill your shopping trolley to the brim with piles of processed food options. It is a wonder that we ever survived as a species for the last couple of hundred thousand years without microwaves!

But here are five big steps you can take to start creating a healthy eating plan that will be better for your general well-being as well as your waistline:

STEP 1: Quit the sweet stuff. Stop eating ANY sugary foods/sugar. This includes cakes, confectionery, chocolates, sugar in tea/coffee, and not forgetting processed foods, most of which contain quantities of sugar to enhance their ‘addictive’ qualities.
WHY: Sugar in particular provides food for yeasts helping them to flourish within your body. An overgrowth of yeast can lead to all sorts of health problems both internally and externally. In the long term yeast, such as Candida, can pose a serious threat to health. Quitting sugary foods is a big step forward towards containing the problem of potentially harmful parasitic micro-organisms like this.

STEP 2: Say no to processed! This step relates to the first action point. Give up eating mass-produced, processed foods (which includes tinned, frozen, dried and chilled varieties! Or any other pre-prepared and chemically contrived food-stuffs.) Such so-called ‘added value’ foods are short on the ingredients you need and big on the stuff you do not require!
WHY: These ubiquitous products generally contain too much sugar, the wrong kind of salts, and a variety of other potentially toxic chemicals used as flavor enhancers, preservatives, colorants or textural modifiers, that can all undermine your natural immunity. These foods contribute to acidification of your system and may have other toxic effects.

STEP 3: Go green. Eat loads of green vegetables. For those who have not been big vegetable consumers this may seem challenging at first but try and sample as many greens as often as you can as you break free from the chains of sugars and processed foods.
WHY: Green foods all contain chlorophyll, which strengthens and supports healthy blood production. They also provide a range of essential vitamins and nutrients. Also green vegetables have a potent alkalizing effect which offsets the acidifying impact of processed food, stress and toxic-chemical that surround us from air-borne-pollutants such as fumes and air fresheners, as well as those toxins absorbed through the skin via body products and so on. Creating a positive alkaline balance within your system is one major factor in achieving and sustaining true, good health.

STEP 4: Drink up! Consume plenty of clean, fresh water. A good quality mineral water from a mountain source that has no nitrate residues (indicative of agricultural chemical contaminants) or home-distilled water is also a good choice. You should aim to drink around 2 to 3 liters of water a day. Its not too hard to do if you drink about a quarter liter every hour or so steadily through the day. This will take some getting used to, as it will initially make you want to go to the toilet frequently, but your body will soon adapt and appreciate the proper hydration.
WHY: This is an important strategy as we are naturally made up of some 80% or more water and as we age we gradually de-hydrate. Dehydration is a common problem in the modern, developed world because we do so many things to encourage the loss of natural fluids. Becoming well hydrated has numerous benefits including the fact that toxins are more readily flushed from our system. You will also find that your concentration span increases and most likely your skin, hair and nails will improve. Also it has been suggested that thirst is often mistaken for hunger leading to the consumption of unnecessary calories, so being well hydrated will reduce this likelihood and ultimately help you drop those pounds!

STEP 5: Become a salt connoisseur. Buy and consume only quality (preferably organic) sea salt that is rich in natural minerals on and (if necessary) in your food. BUT cut out any other kind of salt (and salty products - always check labels as it may not always be obvious from the taste!).
WHY: Contrary to popular mythology salt is NOT bad for you IF it is the right kind of salt. In fact it is absolutely essential, and evidence is emerging that some ailments stem from not consuming enough salt (those who consume the right salts in appropriate quantities have also been shown to live longer). Typical table salts are usually adulterated with certain chemicals to keep them flowing and which are deleterious to your health. It is the typical adulterated table salt that you should be reducing and eradicating from your diet

There are of course more things you need to do to ensure that your new healthy diet is as good as it can be and further steps will be published soon. For now these five simple sounding, but for many people challenging, steps should become the cornerstone of both your future healthy eating plans, and your greater well-being!

More weight loss tips, advice and the latest weight loss program reviews from author and Dieting Coach Phil Ian Goode at http://www.DietingCoach.org — If you are trying to lose a few pounds, and become fitter and healthier, be sure to call by and grab the complimentary “Dieting Coach 7-part weight loss course” for more help in developing your own healthy eating plans.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phil_Ian_Goode

Healthy Eating - What If I Need to Gain Weight?

Do you struggle with trying to gain weight? It can be embarrassing, especially in a world when it seems like the majority of people are trying to lose weight. No one wants to hear about people who are too thin, do they?

If you’re one of those folks who would like to add a few pounds, don’t feel alone. Gaining weight is hard. In fact, many people find that it’s more difficult to gain weight than it is to lose weight. There are two keys to weight gain: eating a bit more than usual, and being consistent in your eating habits. Here are 5 tips to get started:

1. Eat breakfast within 30 minutes of getting up, every day. Never skip breakfast, because it primes your engine for the rest of the day.

2. Continue to eat a meal or snack every 2-4 hours until you go to bed in the evening. If you eat breakfast at 7am, have a snack at 10am, lunch at noon, snack at 3pm, dinner at 6pm, snack at 9pm, and bed at 10-11pm. If you get up earlier or go to bed later, you may need another snack or even an extra meal.

3. Eat 20-30% more than usual at each meal and snack. For example, if you usually eat a sandwich for lunch, eat a sandwich plus an extra ¼ of a sandwich. Or if you usually drink a glass of milk with breakfast, add Carnation Instant Breakfast to the milk. After a few days, your body will adjust to eatinig slightly more food.

4. Make sure that everything you drink contains calories. For example, drink Gatorade instead of water or hot chocolate instead of hot tea. If you enjoy coffee, add milk to your coffee for extra calories. 100% fruit juice and skim milk should be your staple beverages for meals.

5. Eat balanced meals and snacks that include protein, fruit and/or vegetables, and whole grains or a starch. If lunch is usually a ham sandwich, add in a piece of fruit and glass of milk. Instead of eating spaghetti with tomato sauce for supper, add a tossed salad with an olive oil-based dressing, meatballs or grilled chicken with the spaghetti, and a glass of milk.

One of the keys to gaining weight is consistency. Follow these five guidelines every day, and at every meal, for the best success. Look to gain about one-half pound per week to keep yourself healthy.

Lynn Grieger, RD, CDE, cPT is a health, food and fitness coach in southwestern Vermont and at http://www.LynnGrieger.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lynn_Grieger

Healthy Eating - Food! Pyramid Style!