Healthy Eating Habits

Healthy Eating Habits Healthy Eating Habits There are many memories of growing up in South Georgia that frequently goes back to my father’s garden. Ripe tomatoes, pretty green collards greens, cute cucumbers, and yellow squash just to name a few of the vegetables he often grew. Eating these were a pleasure at the tender age of three not because of the benefits that were received from the nutrients but because as a child being responsible for the growth was a joy to me. Watering the crops with my father in his small but beautiful garden is a memory often shared with my two young daughters who were born years after my father passed. My oldest was able to experience watering the garden with his grandfather and picking vegetables that would be shared with others at the dinner table. Eating healthy does not mean we are on a diet but does require planning, effort and purpose. Choose a variety of foods from the basic food group. Eat foods that are new to you. Fats and sweets should be limited. The food pyramid will help us focus on the healthy foods we need to eat. We should eat three meals and two snacks a day provided we have a healthy balance of nutrients. Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. A positive attitude and strong discipline will also contribute to eating well. The body functions properly when we eat right. Activity: Daily physical activity is important. Moderation: Each group has choices that are healthier (little or no solid fats or added sugars) and those that are less healthy (added sugars and solid fats). Choose healthier foods more often and less healthy less often. Personalization: You can personalize a food pyramid based on your age, sex and the amount of daily activity you get at the interactive Web site http://www.MyPyramid.gov Proportion: Choose food from the food groups with wide bands more often. Eat less from those groups with narrow bands. Variety: Choose

References: Healthy Eating - Overview. February 23, 2007. Healthwise Incorporated. Retrieved March 2009. http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/tc/healthy-eating-overview Michael Pollan, Daniel J DeNoon, March 23, 2009. Seven Rules for Eating. Retrieved March http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20090323/7-rules-for-eating