Five quick tips:
1. Stay active. A healthy diet is built on a base of regular physical activity, which keeps calories in balance and weight in check. Read five
quick tips for staying active and getting to your healthy weight, and
20 ideas for fitting exercise into your life.
2. Go with plants. Eating a plant-based diet is healthiest. Make half your plate
vegetables and fruits. Cook with
healthy plant oils, like olive and canola oil. Get most or all of your
protein from beans, nuts and seeds, or tofu. Check out these delicious
healthy recipes that bring the Healthy Eating Pyramid and Healthy Eating Plate into your kitchen.
3. Pick healthy protein sources like fish and beans, not burgers and hot dogs.
Eating fish, chicken, beans, or nuts in place of red meat and processed
meat can lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes. So limit red
meat—beef, pork, or lamb—to twice a week or less. Avoid processed
meat—bacon, cold cuts, hot dogs, and the like—since it strongly raises
the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer. Read more about
choosing
healthy proteins.
4. Make your grains whole grains. Grains are not
essential for good health. What’s essential is to make any grains you
eat whole grains, since these have a gentler effect on blood sugar and
insulin. Over time, eating whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat bread,
whole grain pasta) in place of refined grains (white rice, white bread,
white pasta) makes it easier to control weight and lowers the risk of
heart disease and diabetes. Read more about
whole grains.
5. Drink water, coffee, or tea—not sugary beverages—and drink alcohol in moderation, if at all.
What you drink is as important to your health as what you eat. Water is
the best choice, and coffee and tea also have health benefits.
Sugary drinks
are the worst choice, because they add empty calories, leading to
weight gain, in addition to raising the risk of diabetes and heart
disease.
Limit milk
and dairy to one to two servings per day, since high dairy intake can
increase the risk of some diseases, and go easy on juice, since it is
high in sugar. Moderate
alcohol
consumption can have real health benefits for many people, but it’s not
for everyone; those who don’t drink shouldn’t feel that they need to
start.
-->>Healthy grocery list