When I think of the word “Diet” these days, I don’t think of it as a verb like I once did to limit the foods I eat. For example, “I’m dieting so I can lose weight.” Instead, I think of it as a noun - “my diet is balanced and consists of healthy fruits and vegetables.” Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight means maintaining a balanced diet. Here are 10 simple tips to improve you diet, and at the same time, improve your health.

1. Add just one fruit or veggie serving daily.  Get comfortable with that, then add an extra serving until you reach 8 to 10 a day.
2. See what you eat.  Plate your food instead of eating out of the jar, bag, or wrapper.
3. Instead of whole milk, switch to 1 percent.  If you drink one 8oz glass a day, you’ll lose 5 lbs. in a year.
4. Juice has as many calories, ounce for ounce, as soda.  Set a limit of one 8–oz glass of fruit juice a day.
5. Eat at home!
6. Use mustard instead of mayo.
7. Get calories from foods you chew, not beverages.  Have fresh fruit instead of fruit juice.
8. Start eating breakfast!
9. When eating out, only eat half and take the rest home.
10. Use a salad plate instead of a big dinner plate. You’ll likely eat less and still feel satisfied.

Now of course you don’t have to do all of these at once. Just pick one or two to work on, and then add another.  If you eat out frequently, decide to eat at home more (#5), and then when you do eat out, only eat half and take the rest home with you (#9). These are small changes that when done, can really improve your health.

Source

Additional Reading:
• Four Easy Diet and Exercise Tips
• Boost Your Mood with These Healthy Foods
• Errand Energizers - Simple Ways to Keep Active
• 5 Simple Ways to Boost Your Metabolism
• Dr. Oz’s Trick to Stay Full Longer

This entry was posted on Friday, August 17th, 2007 at 8:39 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.