Three simple ways to
eat healthier every day
COURIER LIFE, DECEMBER 20-26, 2019 43
Health
Diets can be diffi cult to navigate.
Since no two people are the same,
a healthy diet that satisfi es one
person won’t necessarily satisfy another.
Vegetarians might be perfectly
happy without chicken or steak, while
some people might shudder at the notion
of never indulging in the occasional
fi let mignon.
While the most effective diets tend
to be those that emphasize nutrition
while still allowing individuals to indulge
in some of their favorite dishes
in moderation, the following are three
ways that everyone, regardless of their
personal preference, can eat healthy
every day.
Eat lots of whole-grain
carbohydrates.
Fad diets tend to paint carbs as the
enemy, but various studies have shown
just how integral carbohydrates, particularly
whole-grain varieties, are
to a healthy diet. One such study published
in 2018 in the medical journal
The Lancet Public Health found that
diets that got between 50 and 55 percent
of their calories from plant-based
carbohydrates like whole grains were
associated with a lower risk of mortality
than low-carb diets that favored
animal-derived protein sources. When
buying carbs at the grocery store, shoppers
can opt for whole-grain varieties,
including whole-grain pastas, brown
rice and cereals. That won’t require
sacrifi cing fl avor and makes for a simple
way to eat healthier every day.
Make a concerted effort
to eat more fruits and
vegetables.
The United Kingdom-based National
Health Service, which is the
largest single-payer healthcare system
in the world, recommends eating
at least fi ve portions of fruits and
vegetables every day. That may sound
like a lot, but it’s pretty easy to incorporate
all those healthy fruits and
veggies into a diet. For example, add
a serving of antioxidant-rich blueberries
to your cereal bowl each morning.
At dinner time, allow vegetables
to take up the most real estate on your
plate. The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention note that diets rich in
fruits and veggies can help people control
their weight and may even reduce
their risk for certain diseases, including
cancer.
Kick added sugars to the
curb.
Avoiding added sugars is another
way anyone, regardless of their food
preferences, can eat healthier every
day. Healthy foods such as fruit contain
natural sugars, and these don’t
pose a threat to overall health. However,
added sugars, which the Harvard
Medical School notes are found
in many foods and can include honey,
molasses and corn syrup, can increase
a person’s risk for various conditions
and diseases, including obesity, heart
disease and diabetes. Fruit contains fi -
ber that slows the absorption of natural
sugars, but the body digests added
sugars much more quickly, leading to
an uptick in blood sugar levels that
can ultimately contribute to diabetes.
Added sugars can be found in a host of
foods and beverages, including some
that aren’t generally considered unhealthy,
like bread, certain breakfast
cereals and pasta sauces. When shopping,
consumers should read nutrition
labels and avoid products with excessive
amounts of sugar.
Eating healthy does not require
people to abandon their favorite foods.
A few simple adjustments can be all it
takes to improve the nutritional value
of your diet.