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Time
to bring in the new
Dec. 27, 2007
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
Out
with the old and in with the new!
The start of a new year makes this a great time to assess
diets and habits and make changes to improve your and your
family’s health. Remember: Small changes for the better
can have big impact over the long term.
The following ideas may save you time and money, will boost
the nutritional value of your diet and help you lose weight.
Out with: Energy bars. If you were on a multi-day mountain
trek, trying to pack the maximum calories into the lightest
load possible, they might make sense. Otherwise, they’re
overrated. Too many calories, too few of the beneficial phytochemicals
that come with fresh foods. In with: Fresh fruit. Apples,
pears, oranges, grapes and bananas are portable, and they
can set out all day on your desk without refrigeration. They’re
high in water content, low in calories and a good choice for
a quick energy boost.
Out with: High potency vitamin and mineral supplements. Yes,
it’s true that many people have “expensive urine”
because excess water-soluble vitamins are excreted. But the
consequence of taking huge doses of vitamins and minerals
isn’t always benign. Nutrients interact with each other.
Concentrated doses of one may cause an imbalance in another,
and large doses of fat-soluble vitamins can be toxic. In with:
The range of nutrients in quantities as they occur in nature.
In the growing season, join a CSA farm or shop at your local
farmers market. Off-season, buy frozen vegetables. The only
reliable way to get what you need is to eat a range of whole
foods, including several large servings of fruits and vegetables
every day.
Out with: Meal replacement drinks. Research suggests we don’t
mentally count calories from liquids, leading us to reach
for extra calories from solid food. Besides, long term, most
of us want to use our teeth, so liquid meals lose their appeal
and aren’t a permanent solution for weight control.
In with: Food diaries. They’re a tried-and-true tool
for increasing awareness of what you eat and why. Just the
act of keeping a food diary can make you cut calories and
help you lose weight.
Out with: Restaurant entrees. Unless you split one with a
companion, most are far more food than you need at one meal.
In with: Appetizers, salads and sides. Order smaller quantities
of food. A salad with an appetizer or side dish may be all
you need.
Out with: Designer water. Those little extras – including
vitamins, antioxidants and even oxygen – aren’t
worth a dime, and you’re probably paying a lot more
than that for them. In with: Tap water, in an Earth-friendly,
refillable bottle.
Out with: Fast-food breakfasts. Those biscuits and breakfast
sandwiches are a nutritional nightmare – artery-clogging,
constipation-causing, blood pressure-boosting boluses of saturated
fat, trans fat, sodium and refined flour. In with: A bowl
of cereal or two pieces of whole grain toast. Drag yourself
out of bed 15 minutes earlier, if you must.
Out with: Fast-food lunches. With rare exceptions –
a Taco Bell bean burrito or a Wendy’s plain baked potato
– lunch is the same culinary minefield as breakfast.
In with: Brown bag leftovers from last night’s wholesome
dinner at home.
Out with: Outdoor gas grills. Ouch! Alright already, but nobody
needs that much meat. In fact, nobody needs meat at all, and
when you grill it, you also cook up a helping of cancer-causing
nitrosamines. In with: Veggie burgers and meatless hotdogs,
sausage and bacon cooked in the microwave or conventional
oven. They’re delicious and much better for you.
Here’s to good health for you and your loved ones in
the New Year!
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