Plan Your Diet For Better Health

If you want to save yourself from dreaded diseases like heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer, you must make a habit of taking a well-balanced nutritious diet. If your ideal is to have a sound mind in a healthy body, the key is to bring in balance, moderation and variety in your meals.

Thanks to the growing fast food and restaurant industry, people have stopped eating home cooked meals. There is no time to plan or cook healthy meals at home, and there are so many choices of eating out that fast food restaurants have almost totally replaced home cooked food. Unfortunately, it has led to stress, discomfort and disease. It’s time to change this pattern, which is no easy task.

Therefore, go about making changes in a planned and systematic manner. As they say, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. So, plan your meals at the beginning of the week and stick to the plan. Include whole grain cereal, whole-wheat toast, fruit, low-fat yogurt, 100% juice, and skim milk in breakfast, and pack leftovers from dinner so you don’t have any excuse to run for a hotdog or pizza. Eat salads without dressing for a quick and easy dinner, and store readily available vegetables with low fat dip for all time snacks for children.

It really does not take much time to prepare meals at home if you plan properly. Cook dishes you can store in the freezer such as casseroles, pasta dishes and take out a dish before you go to work. By the time you get back from work, it will be thawed and all you have to do is heat it in the oven for about 35-45 minutes and your dinner is ready without much effort.

Eating healthy on a regular basis does take planning and discipline. At first, it may seem rigorous because you are learning how to prepare meals. Grocery shopping may also feel like a chore. But, within a couple of weeks, it will become a habit and second nature. You will feel more in control knowing exactly what ingredients are being used. Therefore, you do not have to worry about hidden fats or too much salt, that are likely present in most restaurant foods.

Be a good role model for your family. You will be serving them by providing both healthy meals and educating them about leading a healthy lifestyle. This is huge because you are setting the example for your kids and passing it on to their kids, and down the line. So, if there was any evidence before of family history health problems, feel well that you decided to take charge and end the madness or at least decrease the risk for your family's future generations.

It’s important to get rid of the notion that only junk food is tasty food. However, you must watch out lest you slip into the other extreme. Always follow the path of moderation. Don’t become too obsessed or restrictive; excess of everything is bad. If you are too restrictive, you stand the risk of losing it altogether some day and then all your efforts go down the drain in one go.

Plan your meals to incorporate servings of protein, whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. RDA suggest for daily intake of carbohydrates: 55-70%, fats: 20-30%, proteins: 15-20% and the World Health Organization suggests 40-50 grams of fiber daily. A varied diet is essential to good health. Concentrate on foods that are high in vitamins, essential fatty acids, antioxidants, unrefined carbohydrates, high fiber, low in sugar, low in fat, low in sodium, and limit alcohol consumption. Eating well and limiting your use of salt, sugar, caffeine, fats, can reduce stress and disease. American Cancer Society has stated that as much as 60% of cancer is related to diet.

A healthy diet is the first step towards leading a healthy life style. A good balanced diet will gradually lead to good eating habits and make your life less stressful. It’s best to make a plan and include your family for suggestions and feedback. If you get them involved, they will support you in making the changes. Finally, stick to the plan and soon you will see changes in your life; you will be able to manage stress, reduce risk of disease and illness, control weight, and provide energy.

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