10 Simple tips to improve diet

Easy things you can do to make your diet healthier.

© Samantha Rufle

Jul 12, 2007

Get into healthy eating habits and you will be eating healthy. It is that easy. Here are ten simple things you can do to improve your diet.

1. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Pick two cooked or raw fruits or vegetables for each meal and one fruit or vegetable with each snack. Eat them first. The fiber in them will fill you up.
2. Cut out (sodium) nitrates. Nitrates have been strongly linked with cancer. They are usually found in many types of processed meats. Look for nitrate free bacon, sausages, hot dogs and deli meats. They are just as tasty and better for you.
3. Eat breakfast. The fact is, healthy people eat breakfast. Skipping breakfast is linked to weight gain, bing eating and obesity.
4. Eliminate trans fats. There is a lot of tricks food companies are using to fool you into thinking they took out the trans fats. Read the ingredients. Look for the words partially hydrogenated oil. If those words in ingredients list, it has trans fats.
5. Avoid high fructose corn syrup. This ingredient is a double wammy. It is high in calories, like sugar but, it doesn't trigger the body to feel full. This is why many people can drink huge quantities of soda with out feeling full. Regular sugar is even better than high fructose corn syrup because sugar does make the body feel full.
6. Drink water. Get used to it. Water is the best drink for you. Learn to like it plain or if you must, flavor it yourself. Use a little lemon or just a slash of juice. Too many flavored waters are actually filled with artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, sugar, and other stuff you just do not need.
7. Take a multivitamin. It can be hard to get all of the vitamins and minerals you need in a day. A multivitamin is the insurance that you are getting all that you need.
8. Eat whole grains. Now it easy to find waffles, breads, crackers, baking mixes and even pastries made with whole grains. Take advantage of that. Your body will appreciate the extra fiber.
9. Cut the sugar. Eating too much sugar is associated with hardening of the arteries, diabetes and even some types of cancers. Limit refined sugar to one meal or snack a day. Also read labels and cut out condiments, and other foods with added sugar in them.
10. Sit down and eat at the table. Mindlessly eating in front of the TV or worse, in your car is definitely a recipe for disaster. Give your food the respect and the attention it deserves.

These simple tips will not only help you lose a few pounds, you will feel better too.

Sliced apples with peanut butter are a great snack

Smoothies make a great breakfast.

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