Hello To Healthy Eating

Archive for March 7th, 2010

Snacking is the downfall of many otherwise healthy diets, but the good news is that your can learn to control this snacking quite easily.

Also, even if still want to snack during the day, there are ways in which you can do so without killing your healthy diet. Staying on track with your diet when you like to snack might be hard, but it is worth that extra effort because it keeps your body healthy.

To prevent snacking, simply eat more meals.

Instead of eating three large meals every try, try eating smaller meals every few hours. If you are snacking because you are hungry, chances are that you are using more energy than you are ingesting and you need the extra fuel.

By eating 6 smaller but healthy meals every day, you will not be tempted to snack very often, but will keep your high energy levels.

You can also help to stop your snacking simply by removing temptation.

Before you reach for a snack, ask yourself if you are honestly hungry or if you are just eating because you are bored, because the food tastes good, or because you feel compelled to eat when doing a certain activity (like watching a movie).

If you are snacking because you are really hungry, than it is probably fine to have something to eat, but if you are snacking for another reason, you should try to remove the temptation.

Simply rid your house of junk foods and do not buy these items again when you go to the grocery store.

Instead, purchase healthy snacks.

Think about the snacks you are eating. Would they fit easily into a food group as fruit, vegetable, grain, dairy, or protein? If the answer is no, then the snack is probably not good for you.

For example, carrot sticks (vegetables), yogurt (dairy), or whole wheat crackers (grains) work well as snacks, while candy, potato chips, and processed foods do not.

When you snack, remember to consider your beverages as well.

Drinks like soda, fruit punch, iced tea, lemonade, and juice boxes can contain unnatural ingredients and lots of sugar. In short, they are high in calories but low in nutrients.

Instead, opt for drinks that supplement your healthy diet.

Choose water most of the like, or drinks that are made with natural fruits, like apple juice. Low-fat milk and sports drinks are also good choices.

Above all, stay away from most kinds of alcohol. Red wine is an exception, since this can help your heart health, but any type of alcohol in high amounts is fairly bad for your body.

Every year, an estimated 7 million Americans suffer from cases
of foodborne illness. Some cases are violent and even result
in death. Of course this is commonly known as “food poisoning.”
The culprit is food that has dangerously high levels of bacteria
due to improper cooking or handling.

Food safety is usually taken for granted by the buying public but
everyone’s attention was recently directed to food poisoning
involving some meat that was undercooked. It was determined that
the problem never would have happened if the meat had been
cooked properly. E.Coli 0157.H7 is a potent virus, but it can be
completely destroyed when the meat is fully cooked.

It is important for consumers to take an all-around safety approach
to purchasing, storing and preparing both traditional and new meat
and poultry products. Ultimately, consumers and food handlers bear
the responsibility for keeping food safe once it leaves the store.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 85 percent
of foodborne illness cases could be avoided each year if consumers
would handle food properly. The most common foodborne illnesses
are caused by a combination of bacteria, naturally present in the
environment, and food handling mistakes. Ironically, these are
also the easiest types of foodborne illnesses to prevent. Proper
cooking or processing of raw meat and poultry kills bacteria that
can cause foodborne illness.

When you’re out, grocery shop last, take food straight home to the
refrigerator. And never leave food in a hot car! Don’t buy anything
you won’t use before the use-by date. Don’t buy food in poor
condition. Make sure refrigerated food is cold to the touch. Frozen
food should be rock-solid. Canned goods should be free of dents,
cracks or bulging lids which can indicate a serious food poisoning
threat.

The performance and maintenance of your refrigerator is of the
utmost importance. Check the temperature of your refrigerator with
an appliance thermometer. To keep bacteria in check, the refrigerator
should run at 40 degrees F; the freezer unit at 0 degrees F.
Generally, keep your refrigerator as cold as possible without
freezing your milk or lettuce.

When you prepare food, keep everything clean and thaw out any
frozen food you plan to prepare in your refrigerator. Take it out
of the freezer in advance and place it in the refrigerated section
of your refrigerator. Always wash your hands in hot soapy water
before preparing and handling any food as well as after you use the
bathroom, change diapers, handle pets, etc. Remember, too, that
bacteria can live in your kitchen towels, sponges and dish cloths.
Wash them often and replace the dish cloths and sponges you use
regularly every few weeks.

Be absolutely sure that you keep all raw meats, poultry and fish
and their juices away from other food. For instance, wash your
hands, your cutting board and knife in hot soapy water after
cutting up the chicken and before dicing salad ingredients. It is
best to use plastic cutting boards rather than wooden ones where
bacteria can hide in grooves. Don’t take your food out of the
freezer and leave it on the kitchen counter to thaw. This is
extremely dangerous since the bacteria can grow in the outer layers
of the food before the inside thaws. It is wise to do your
marinating in the refrigerator too.