Tips For Making Healthy Food Choices

A healthy diet is not necessarily boring, insipid or tasteless. On the contrary, a healthy diet includes foods from all food groups and is rich in fruits and vegetables, high-fiber and whole grain foods, poultry and lean meat, fish and low-fat dairy products. The key to a healthy diet is in making healthy food choices and not in starving yourself or abstaining from certain foods.

Saturated fats adversely affect cholesterol levels in the body and should be avoided. While unsaturated fats are not as harmful, it is still a good idea to limit your overall fat intake. Avoid all foods that are deep-fried and keep all fried foods to a minimum. Eating poultry without the skin and choosing lean meats, skimmed milk and low-fat dairy products also helps keep your fat consumption in check.

Increasing your intake of oily fish such as trout, herring and salmon, provides your body with essential omega-3 fatty acids that reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. However frying fish can destroy its health benefits. Instead, fish should be grilled, broiled, boiled or baked.

Cutting back on your intake of cholesterol-high foods such as egg yolks, shellfish, whole milk and organ meats including liver is good for your heart.

Including plenty of fresh fruits in your diet will help your body get the requisite amount of sugar that it requires. Reduce your consumption of refined sugar as well food and drinks that contain added sugars in order to prevent the incidence of diabetes.

Replace foods that are low in fiber including white bread, chips and candy with foods containing soluble fiber including oat meal, oat bran, strawberries, peas and beans as well as insoluble fiber including wheat cereals, turnips, carrots, whole-wheat breads and Brussel sprouts.

Drink a minimum 9 glasses of water a day in order to stay well hydrated. Avoid drinking too many caffeinated drinks including tea, coffee and colas, which are diuretic cause the body to lose water and get dehydrated.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gabriel_J._Adams