What You Should Eat For Optimum Health

We often wonder what we should eat to stay healthy and even the government has recently launched its own food pyramid that you can see on MyPyramid.gov. Here is a summary of the 2005 Food Guidelines from the government. First, according to the new government guidelines a healthy diet is one that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, grains, and low-fat dairy products and will include lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs and nuts. The diet will also contain saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt and extra sugar. The main issue that the government is proposing now is to eat whole grain cereals and to eat half of the grain and to eat whole grains. Whole grains contain whole grain cereals - bran, germ, and endosperm, other examples could be: • whole wheat flour • bulgur (cracked wheat) • oatmeal • whole cornmeal • brown rice Next you should "change your vegetables "and generally buy fresh vegetables during the season, store frozen vegetables and buy vegetables that are easy to prepare. For optimal nutrition, choose vegetables with added potassium such as sweet potatoes and spinach and limit the sauces that can add fat, sodium and extra calories. Prepare your diet from fresh ingredients to lower sodium. Most of the sodium comes from packaged and processed foods. Another suggestion for healthy eating is to try to use the salad as a great lunch and light up salad dressing. Focus on the fruit. To help you stay focused, have a fruit bowl always available on the table, counter, or refrigerator. Store sliced ​​fruit in the refrigerator and buy fresh fruit at any time of the year whenever possible. Buy frozen, dried, and canned fruit so you can keep some kind of fruit in hand. Choose whole fruits or cut fruit over juices whenever possible to get the benefits of fiber. Choose fruits that are high in potassium such as bananas, apricots, and cantaloupe. Add sliced ​​fruit to your morning cereal. For lunch, take tangerine, banana, or grapes. For dinner, add the crushed pineapple or mandarin oranges to the tossed salad. Get calcium-rich foods and include low-fat or low-fat milk as a beverage during meals. Have low-fat yogurt as a snack. Use low-fat cheese for salads and casseroles. For those who are unable to consume dairy products due to lactose intolerance choose alternatives to lactose into your calcium such as cheese, yoghurt, and lactose-free milk. Sprinkle with protein. Suggestions for your protein diet is to use very small cuts of meat such as top sirloin and pork and whenever you choose minced beef go with extra lean that looks at least 90% lean. Buy skinless chicken parts as oil for the skin. Choose oily turkey and all kinds of fish. To keep the meat you eat as small and fat-free as possible, grease, bend, fry, or boil the meat of your choice instead of frying and removing any fat that appears during cooking. Choose dried beans as kidney beans and use them as a major part of your regular diet. Use nuts for snacks and occasionally use them instead of meat or poultry.