Making changes to the way you eat is easier if you gradually get comfortable with each step before moving onto the next. Every step will help to make healthy eating a natural, painless part of your lifestyle.
1. Start the day well by eating a fiber-rich breakfast of porridge or natural muesli topped with fruit. Eating breakfast keeps you mentally and physically alert.
2. Keep coffee and caffeine-containing soft drinks to a minimum - they give only a short burst of caffeine-fuelled energy. Try one or two cups daily of black or green tea. Tea contains antioxidants that are associated with lower rates of cancer and heart disease. A cup of black or green tea has about half the caffeine of a cup of coffee.
3. Slowly reduce the amount of sugar you take in tea or coffee. It's better to retrain your palate than to use artificial sweeteners so that you lower your desire for sweet foods and drinks overall.
4. When baking cakes or biscuits, substitute half wholemeal flour for white flour, gradually increasing it as your taste changes. Eat wholegrain bread more often than white- it has more B vitamins and twice as much fiber. Experiment with different types made from a variety of grains.
5. Buy brown rice and wholemeal or spelled pasta rather than white to boost fiber and B vitamin intake. Introduce it gradually as part of a mixed dish if the family resists.
6. Gradually increase the variety of fruit and vegetables you eat to seven servings a day. For example, including a piece of fruit with your breakfast and one as a snack, having a salad with lunch, and two cups of cooked vegetables for dinner would give you your daily requirement.
7. Replace sugar and fat-filled snacks such as biscuits, pastries, and chocolate with fruits. It doesn't have to be dull; try dried fruits or a tropical fruit salad for variety.
8. Try to do without deep-fried takeaway foods to reduce your saturated fat intake. Also, try to use just a scrape of butter, polyunsaturated or monounsaturated margarine. Or experiment with peanut butter or mashed avocado on bread.
9. Drink enough water. Moderately active adults need about 2 liters per day. Check your hydration by looking at the color of your urine. It should be pale yellow or clear.
10. Use less salt, or cut it out altogether. Excess salt over time can result in a rise in blood pressure. It's easy to avoid too much salt if you eat mainly fresh food because most of the salt in our diet comes from processed food. Instead of reaching for the salt shaker, use herbs, spices, and other natural flavorings such as fresh lemon or lime juice.
11. Eat dairy products in moderation. Low-fat or no-fat milk, yogurts, and ice cream help keep saturated fat intake down.
12. Learn to love soy. It's an excellent source of plant protein and appears to reduce the risk of heart disease by helping lower cholesterol levels. It's also been shown to protect against breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men. Aim for at least one serving a day of soy milk or soy yogurt, tofu, or tempeh.
13. Choose lean cuts of red meat and minimize your intake of processed meats such as salami, bacon, and sausages. Lean meat is a good source of iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and high-quality protein, whereas a high intake of processed meats has been associated with a great risk of bowel cancer.
14. Eat more fish to increase your intake of beneficial omega-3 essential fatty acids. Aim for two to four meals a week and choose oily fish.
15. Prepare vegetarian meals occasionally. Include legumes, such as kidney beans, soybeans, chickpeas, or lentils. These have a low glycaemic index (GI), so you'll feel fuller for longer. Their high fiber content also helps prevent constipation.
Eating a wide variety of good natural foods can help you live a long, healthy, and active life.
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