Eating appropriately is often so confusing. I find it much easier to deal with foods than to go through a whole list of nutrients.
Many of us will love to eat healthily but we are limited by our finances, time and knowledge. Our aim should be to make small changes daily.
The list below should act as guidelines and even if we make one change each week, we will be much healthier and will be able to do more of the things we enjoy in ten weeks.
1. Eat a variety of foods; no food is perfect so we need a mix of foods to get all the nutrients we need.
2. Eat more fruits and vegetable products and fewer animal products. Deep green and yellow-orange vegetables are great. Our own kontomire falls into this group.
3. Eat more fresh and home-made foods and fewer processed foods. Minimize fast food and junk food.
4. Choose your fats wisely. Cut down on meat, the skin of poultry, whole dairy products, fried foods and commercial baked foods. Get “good fats” from fish and nuts.
5. Eat protein in moderation. Favour fish and skinless poultry (chicken and turkey) and boil, grill or bake instead of frying. Beans and tofu are great. Eggs are wonderful but limit it to one yolk a day. Limit intake of red meat such as beef.
6. Watch your carbohydrates. Cut down on simple sugars. Highly refined products made with white flour will not be of much help to you. Many soft drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks and fruit juices are loaded with sugar. Whole grains and brown rice will do wonders to us but our taste buds will demand for some polished and perfumed rice. Unsalted seeds and nuts (groundnuts/peanuts) will give us joy.
7. Restrict your sodium intake by avoiding or minimizing processed foods and salt.
8. Eat more potassium-rich foods, such as citrus fruits (orange), bananas and other fruits and vegetables. Eat more calcium-rich foods, such as low-fat dairy products, broccoli, spinach, and tofu
9. Choose healthy oils such as olive and canola. Avoid partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Use oils sparingly.
10. If you drink alcohol it should minimal. Do not start drinking alcohol because you want to reap its touted health benefits. Women in the child-bearing age should avoid alcohol. Good clean water is always a winner.
The points listed above do not apply to people with health conditions who have consulted a dietitian. Stick to your dietitian’s menu since it has been customized to fit you and your medical condition.
Eating appropriately is only part of the work. You will need to increase your level of physical activity to reap the maximum benefits.
The quick-fix diet plans will always short change you. If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.
Source:
Dr Kojo Cobba Essel, MBChB, MBA, FT
(MOMS HEALTH CLUB)
References:
1. Primed Patient Education Center
3. 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
