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fitnessandhealthforwomen.com http://www.fitnessandhealthforwomen.com/eating-healthy/
Jeanette McVoy
Practical Approach and Tips For Eating Healthy
Posted by Jeanette McVoy on Apr 9th, 2015
I have been either hiking, ski skating, walking, biking 5-6 days a week for the past 30+ years. I have been also lifting
weights for 30+years 1-2 times a week. My arms and legs are pretty strong but it didn’t happen overnight. I made this
routine a habit in order to continuously get the results I have.
Exactly the same holds true with healthy eating. You will never be healthy, eating healthy foods occasionally. You
have to make healthy eating a habit if you want to obtain nutritional health.
People jump on the band wagon of healthy eating when they read books or view websites that talk about nutrition.
While many of these books and websites tell you what you should eat in-order to be healthy, they fail to teach you
how to make it a habit. Thus in a short period of time when temptations come, people fall right back into their old
unhealthy eating habits.
What is a Habit?
According to Webster’s dictionary a habit is a behavior pattern acquired by frequent repetition or physiologic
exposure that shows itself in regularity or increased facility of performance.
Can you see that if we simply apply this principle to healthy eating we will be on our way to vibrant health?
Bad Eating Habits:
Bad eating habits do not develop overnight. For most people these habits began forming when they were kids (like
eating too much sugar or drinking soda). So many kids in today’s age are addicted to sugar and eat a lot of
processed food because of convenience. Thus one reason why many adults have a hard time breaking their bad
eating habits is because these habits have been a part of their lifestyle for many years.

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Why Do We Eat Food?
There are two main reasons why we eat food. One is to supply fuel for our body and the other reason is for pleasure.
Unfortunately some of the foods that gives us pleasure are unhealthy.
Most people make their food selections based on what they see, smell or taste. Look at these three sentences: That
cookie sure looks good! That cookie sure smells good! That cookie sure taste good!
Notice that all three statements involve food and pleasure. However the food that is producing the pleasure (in this
situation the cookie) may or may not be good for you from a nutritional standpoint. That is why we need to be wise in
our food selections and not simply leave it up to our sense of taste, sight, or smell.
Eating Healthy Can Be Enjoyable:
Some people think of eating healthy as being boring and tasteless. I think that one reason they feel this way is
because most of the commercial ads we see promote foods high in calories, fat, or sugar and only a small
percentage of food advertising is done for fruits, vegetables, grains and beans. Thus if there was more nutritional
education, more and more people would find eating healthy to be pleasurable and tasty.
Tips for Eating Smarter At Restaurants
Avoid all you can eat buffets
Watch portion sizes
Start your meal with a salad to help you avoid overeating
Drink water or unsweetened tea
Decline the bread or chips basket
Always ask for sauces and salad dressing on the side – use sparingly or bring your own
Select entrees that include vegetables
Remember, steamed, broiled, and grilled are better than fried
Tell your waiter that you do not use butter
Order an appetizer for a main course
Split an entree with a friend or ask your server to put half in a take-away container
Order a la carte – such as a grilled lean protein (without butter or sauce) and veggies
Consider fruit for dessert
Don’t be afraid to ask about ingredients or substitutions.
I strongly believe that one main reason that I am healthy is because I take personal responsibility for my health.
Making healthy eating a habit is a great part of our responsibility. Our physical bodies have laws that are governed
by proper nutrition. If we violate these laws by consistently eating unhealthy foods, we are going to have problems.
To Your Health!
Jeanette
jeanettemcvoy6@gmail.com
303-570-9276
P.S. Comment below if you agree or disagree!

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