| Healthy Eating Tips |
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Here are some tips for eating healthy at home, work, and elsewhere to
help you get started. Try some of these ideas.
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| 1. |
Start your day off right! |
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- Eat breakfast! Breakfast is an important meal and having a good
breakfast just help give you the right start to your day.
- Have a piece of toast with peanut butter, unsweetened cereal
with low-fat milk, or a fat-free granola bar.
- Try livening up your cereal with some fruit like sliced banana
or diced apple.
- If you are in a big rush, take a piece of fruit to munch on
during your commute.
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| 2. |
Eat a variety of food |
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Our body requires over 40 nutrients for good health. No one food or food group
can provide you with all the nutrients, so have a variety of food to ensure
that you are getting what your body needs. Use the
Food Guide Pyramid on what to eat and how much to eat of each type of food.
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| 3. |
Eat more fruit & vegetable |
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Wouldn't it be easier to eat something if it was right in front of you?
The next time you go grocery shopping, make sure you stock up on fruits &
vegetables. Then keep a bowl of fruit on the kitchen table or counter. Reach
for a piece between or after meals. Don't forget to cook up those vegetables
you bought too!
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| 4. |
Eat less fat & foods high in fat |
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What can we say about fried foods? They taste great, but are not great
for you. They're high in fat. Here is a few suggestions that will save your heart.
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- Deep-fry less often. Try grilling/barbequeing, baking, steaming or boiling your
foods more often.
- Use oils sparingly in cooking or when flavouring foods. Choose less saturated
oils, try olive and canola oils which are high in monounsaturated fats.
- Watch those fast foods. Many of them are high in fat. Check them out in the
Fast Food Guide.
- Use butter and margarine sparingly. Even better, switch to reduced-fat margarine
or use a little jam/jelly on your bread, bagels, and other baked goods.
- Use low-fat dairy products such as skim or 2 percent milk, reduced fat cheese,
low-fat yoghurt, or light ice cream. You'll still get the nutrients and taste,
but half the fat.
- If you like to eat meat, you can help reduce fat by choosing the leanest cuts.
If you are preparing it at home, trim all visible fat and drain the grease that
cooks out of the meat. Also take the skin off chicken and substitute meat with
tofu, lentils or dried beans a couple of times a week.
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| 5. |
Watch those snacks |
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Why do we eat snacks? They taste great, they’re easy, and they
satisfy our sweet and salt cravings. And, let’s face it, crunchy
food is fun. However, some snack foods are high in fat & salt. See
Snack Attack table to find out how
much fat and salt is in your favourite snack food! Check out the
suggestions for some healthier alternatives. |
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| 6. |
Eat everything in moderation. |
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There are no "good" or "bad" food. As the American Dietetic Association
suggest – All Foods Can Fit – as long as you have them in
moderation. Too much of any food is bad; if you only eat vegetables
and nothing else, that too would be a problem. And just because something is
fat-free or low-fat does not mean you can eat as much as you want. Many low-fat
or nonfat foods are also high in calories. Eat everything in moderation. Reduce,
don't eliminate foods that are high in fat, sugar or salt.
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| 7. |
Maintain a healthy body weight and feel good |
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Being overweight increases your risk for a wide range of diseases including heart
disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Excess body fat results when you eat more
calories than you are using up. If you are very active, you can eat more. However,
if your lifestyle is sedentary, you need to:
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- cut back on the amount of food eaten;
- choose lower calorie items; and
- increase your activity.
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Calories come from all food - protein, fat, carbohydrate or alcohol -
but fat have the most calories, followed by alcohol, then protein and
carbohydrate. To maintain weight, cut back on calories and be more
active.
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| 8. |
Drink plenty of fluids |
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Adults need to drink at least 1.5 litres or 6 cups of fluid a day! You
need more if it is very hot or you are physically active. Plain tap
water is obviously a good source of fluid but variety can be both
pleasant and healthy. Choose also from unsweetened juices, lightly
sweetened drinks, tea, broth, milk, etc. Coffee is not a good source
of fluid as it acts as a diuretic (draws water from your body).
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| 9. |
Get on the move |
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As we have seen, too many calories and not enough activity can result in weight
gain. Moderate physical activity helps burn off those extra calories. It is also
good for the heart and circulation system and for general health and well-being.
So, make physical activity part of your daily routine. Use the stairs instead of
the elevator (both up and down!). Park your car a little further. Go for a walk
on your lunch break. You don't have to be an athlete to get on the move!
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| 10. |
Start now! - and make small changes |
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Making gradual changes in your lifestyle are much easier than taking a big jump
all at once. To start on the road to healthy eating, pick one tip and work on it
for a couple of weeks. When you feel comfortable with that, move on to the next
one.
If you want to know how your current diet is, write down the foods and drinks
you eat at meals and as snacks for the next three days. Use the
Rate Your Diet form to identify areas that you are low in or
eating too much of. Use that as a guide to focus on problem areas. Check your diet
again in 3 months & see if your diet has improved.
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