• Why eat healthy?
• Research before you go.
• Pick carefully.
• Order and moderation.

WHY EAT HEALTHY?

Ask yourself if you want to feel healthy, have energy, feel good about yourself and avoid the tough surprises on the next doctor’s visit? Then, remember the doorway to health is through your food choices. Don’t be pulled along by the current, but rather make those smart choices that may seem difficult, but the more you practice healthy eating, the easier those choices will become.

RESEARCH BEFORE YOU GO.

Whether we have chosen a restaurant or will be joining someone at a restaurant that was already decided upon, you can get valuable information about their menu options before you go. Not every menu option that looks healthy, is a good choice. Many restaurants publish their nutritional information. Most established food chains have that information already published and easy to view charts.

PICK CAREFULLY.

Health experts recommend no more than 40 carbohydrates during one meal. So many food options have carbohydrates: breads, pastas, rice, beans, fruits, corn and corn products, like corn tortillas. Although a particular restaurant doesn’t publish their nutritional information (pretty normal for your mom and pop venues), you can make a pretty educated guess about carbohydrates in a menu option. Use your math skills and arrive at an estimated total. You may feel that the level of carbohydrates are acceptable, but remember that some low carb foods are high in fat. It may seem that you can’t win because as you avoid carbs, you get hit with fat content. To avoid the last minute choice being made while looking at a restaurant menu, pick ahead of time and forget the drama.

ORDER AND MODERATION.

There is an order to eating. You first eat the fiber (salad) which is usually raw or lightly cooked vegetables. Then you eat the protein (the amount of protein you eat is based on your height/weight/activity). Finally, you consume the carbohydrate. Many people start with bread when they arrive to the restaurant. This is a big mistake. This will spike your glucose blood sugar. This is a shock to your system. Try to avoid the unnecessary shocks to your digestive and endocrine system, especially the pancreas. To keep everything in order, eat in a specific order (as stated above) and keep moderation on the consumption of carbohydrates.

ERRONEOUS INFORMATION.

You will see in the above graphic that there is a fundamental misunderstanding about healthy eating. Did you find it? Vegetables and fruits should not have been lumped together into one category. Fruits are “carbohydrates”. Some fruits contain little or no fiber. The body needs fiber to properly receive the protein and carbohydrates. Rather than eating fruit at the beginning, it should be eaten at the end.