Healthy Eating Principles

Everyone knows that we have to eat healthily in order to stay healthy.

Yet many people find it hard to do so.

It doesn't help that there are so many diet plans out there, each one purporting to be 'the one true diet' for you.

One useful way to get you into the habit of eating healthily is by applying a few principles to the way you eat. I've outlined 8 of them below. Notice that I do not mention counting calories. That's because it takes away the fun when you have to stop and check numbers before you eat something. Anything that lessens your enjoyment of something will make it hard for you to stick to that thing.

So to make life easy, and to help you stick to your healthy eating patterns, don't think in terms calories. Your body is the most intelligent machine in existence. Listen to it instead and do what it says (eg eat when it says you're hungry, stop when it says you're full, etc - see below).

I. Eat small portions of food for each meal. There is no 'one size fits all' rule here. You know what a sensibly small portion looks like, for you.

II. Eat frequently. Most adults get hungry about 3-4 hours after their last meal.

Aim to eat at least 5 small sized meals each day. This keeps your metabolic rate high, thus helping you release excess weight easily, naturally, safely and healthily.

Study yourself and see how soon after eating you feel hungry again. This will help you prepare in advance so that you don't get very hungry and fall into the temptation of eating anything available

III. Eat foods that you enjoy eating, making sure that each meal contains healthy protein, healthy carbs, healthy fat sources, as well as minerals, vitamins and other micronutrients.

Broaden your range of 'enjoyed food' to include as much unprocessed food as possible. Try new things and limit processed foods as they're plain unhealthy. Avoid grains and grain-based foods if you suffer from allergies or need to lose weight.

Set yourself up to succeed by stocking healthy foods and snacks (think fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds...)in your house. That way they're readily available, and you've got no choice but to eat them.

One great way to enjoy a meal, whatever it is, is by eating slowly. Take time to actually chew your food. This also aids digestion (which begins in your mouth).

IV. Eat only when you're hungry. Have a stash of fresh fruits and vegetables to snack on in between meals or when you're on the go.

V. Stop eating as soon as you feel full: practise pushing away your plate with food still on it when you've had enough.

Don't aim to wipe the plate clean, and don't eat until you feel stuffed. Eat until you're comfortably satisfied.

Reward yourself each time you succeed in doing this (but not with food!) - read a good book, watch a movie, spend some time out with friends - do something you really enjoy, to encourage yourself to stick with this good habit.

VI. Drink a lot of water.

Scientists recommend that we drink roughly 8 (250mls) glasses of water each day. The best gauge to how much water you should drink though, is your own body: drink when you're thirsty.

Water helps you stay full, and if you're eating only when you're hungry, it means you'll eat less without feeling like you're depriving yourself.

It also helps you flush out toxins from your body which otherwise could interfere with your body's normal metabolism.

Your body is 70% water so it makes sense to keep your hydration levels normal.

Having said that, a great way to get water while getting nourishment is by eating fresh fruits and vegetables. This makes another case for the '5-8 daily portions' of fruits and vegs.

VII. Take Daily Supplements.

I'm all for getting your nutrients from your food, but with today's farming methods (pollution, toxins in soil, nutrient depletion in soil) and today's food processing methods which process most of the goodness out of our food, there's no way you can eat enough fruits, veggies and healthy oils each day to give you the amounts you need to maintain optimal health.

So take daily supplements to give you insurance and ensure that each day you get all your required nutrients.

Make sure the supplements have been manufactured to Pharmaceutical Grade Quality Standards (should be clearly stated on the bottle), using Good Manufacturing Practices (GMC). This ensures that you're actually getting what's written on the label.

Ensure also that your supplements have a guarantee of potency clearly written on the bottle, and that the ingredients are balanced, complete and comprehensive.

VIII. Eating should be a pleasure, not a pain. For any food plan to work, it has to be practical, enjoyable, flexible and nutritious.

Any plan that's based on depriving you of some food or other is almost certainly doomed to fail in the long term.

That's why I do not advocate total avoidance of any foods. You know what to eat, how much to eat and when to stop. Simply do what you know to do and you'll be alright:). If you don't know what to eat, or if you feel something in your current diet is making you sick, or keeping you overweight, contact me using the information below and we can work to find out what the problem area is.

Try incorporating the above tips into the way you eat. Start with one of them, practise it for a week (or until you're used to it), then start on another one.

If you make changes in small steps, you won't be overwhelmed and easily discouraged by your progress.

So make a small change each time; celebrate (or reward yourself) for each success, no matter how small you think it is.

Remember, every baby step is bringing you closer to your desired goal of being a healthy eater.

With persistence, you will find that eating healthily is not only possible, but it's fun.

So go for it, and stick to it! You know you can.

PS: This article is a small part of a more comprehensive discussion of the subject. Visit the website in my resource box and sign up to receive more detailed information about healthy eating, etc.

Dr Kem Thompson is a General Practitioner, Author and Speaker. She specializes in Healthy Lifestyle medicine and is passionate about Health & Fitness, Personal Development, Success Principles and Women's issues.

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