Friday, January 21, 2011

10 Ways To Live a Healthy Life

With 2/3 of Americans now overweight, it's time to focus on a healthier approach to eating. Re-energize your commitment to eat healthy this year with the following simple ways.

Just say no; - don't increase your meal size, just to save a couple bucks.

Ask for a take-home container when you dine out. Place half of your meal in the container immediately. This strategy will also net you twice the number of meals from the same dining - out of budget.

Buffets are dangerous when it comes to overeating. It's because most of us want to try everything and get our money's worth. So, don't eat all you can eat!

You can eat lots of small meals, which means you're less likely to reach the point of ravenous hunger that leads to overeating. Pack fresh fruit and/or premeasured portions of nuts for the car or office. Have a healthy snack bar ready in case hunger strikes. Do this throughout the day and you'll be surprised at how hungry you won't be at mealtime.

Start your meal with a glass of water or cup of clear soup to help curb your appetite.

You can concentrate more on the flavors and textures of your meal, giving your body a chance to better gauge your food intake and obey signs of fullness if you turn off your TV and not eating at your desk.

Plate your food in the kitchen where it's prepared and leave some plate showing between foods to control portion size.

Eat your veggies and fruits which are higher in fiber than most processed foods, so they keep you feeling fuller longer. Also, most have fewer calories per portion size than the processed foods.

When preparing left overs for storage, think on your next meal(s) and put food in pre-portioned containers. Take a counter to work or pop one in the microwave for a tasty, perfectly portioned meal! Do the same with snack foods by divvying up a family-size bag into individual plastic bags.

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