Food. It can drive you absolutely crazy. So let's keep it really basic.
Everyone has their own theories about what to eat, how to eat, the perfect speed to eat and even what food to eat for your blood type! (Debunked by the way)
So, I'm going to give you a place to start with 10 tips on eating well. Some of these tips may seem like second nature, and some may seem odd, and other physicians and nutritionists may disagree with me as well, because everyone has an opinion. I'll try to site a lot of information so you can learn more about each tip. Don't get overwhelmed, which is easy to do. Learning to eat well is an ongoing process. Take is slow and ask me for more information!
1) Eat slowly. Your body doesn't feel full right away. If you eat quickly, you are more likely to overeat and get too many calories than your body needs. As a general rule, keep your fork (or finger) off the food until you have finished swallowing.
2) Eat the food you make. When restaurants make food, they are concerned about selling it. That means, adding as much sugar and fat needed to make it taste great. While there are some healthy options out there, eating at restaurants (especially fast food) should be a treat. Check out the calories in a McRib and a BigMac .
3) Don't drink your calories. Whether its soda or fruit juice, you're better off with just water or other low-calorie drinks. Fruit has natural fiber in it, which slows down the breakdown of sugar. When you have fruit juice, you get all the sugar but none of the fiber. As it turns out, eating fruit lowers your risk of diabetes, but drinking fruit juice raises it. Take a look at this great study!
4) Choose a Diet Philosophy and stick with it. There are many different types of diets. For the most part, choosing an general type of diet and sticking with it WILL help you loose weight and feel satisfied. Perhaps the most studied diet to reduce weight and also lower your risk of heart diseases is the Mediterranean Diet. This diet emphasizes fish, nuts and olive oil with less emphasis on carbohydrates like pasta. There are tons of recipes out there.
5) Baked and not fried. When you fry foods, a lot of oil ends up on food. Oil makes things taste good, but has TONS of calories. Just about every food that is friend can be baked instead and will still taste great.
6) Cut down on cheese. It has tons of calories and it can add up fast. Try hummus instead or low-fat cheese. As a general rule, hard cheese has less calories than soft cheese
7) Drink water with each meal. Often times we feel hungry when we are really thirsty.
8) Protein and fiber. Your two best friends. Protein helps build muscles and make you feel full. Fiber has tons of health benefits including reducing your risk of cancer, helping you move your bowels (poop) and also makes you feel full and satisfied.
9) Fat free milk, brown rice, and other "switches." There are small changes you can make to your diet that can add up. If you drink whole milk, eventually switch to 2%, then 1% and finally fat free. That's a savings of 50 calories right there. Switching to brown rice slowly (mix it in 50% brown and 50% white, then 75% brown and 25% white) to get all the great fiber in brown rice. That means you will eat less to feel full.
10) Become a calorie counter and go for the 500 rule. There are tons of websites online and apps for your smartphone and sometimes listed in menus. Learn the "Eat This Not That" approach to dieting, where you learn to replace high calorie foods with lower calorie options. For most people, reducing 500 calories a day will result in loosing 1 pound a day.