This content is sponsored by Adventist HealthCare.
When looking to improve your health, a good place to start is to evaluate your eating habits and learn how to make healthy food decisions. Unfortunately, a lot of people associate eating healthier with bland, boring foods, ultimately preventing them from sticking with healthy choices long term.
Ogechi Anyaoku, MD, an internal medicine physician with Adventist HealthCare Adventist Medical Group, says that healthy eating is one of the most important things you can do for your health and stresses that eating healthy doesn’t have to be overwhelming. “Start by making small changes in your eating habits. Be aware of portion sizes, nutrition labels and make smart food decisions. By doing this, you will see improvements in your health. Your overall well-being and risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and other chronic conditions is lowered. If you have any of these chronic conditions, you’ll also start to see improvements. Healthy eating should be part of any treatment plan. You’ll also notice improvements in your mood, energy and motivation levels and sleep patterns,” says Dr. Anyaoku.
Aside from incorporating plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits and lean proteins into our daily diet, what other steps can be taken to adopt healthier eating? Dr. Anyaoku shares how she encourages her patients to take a regular diet and make it a bit healthier with simple food swaps.
Choose whole-grain foods
Eating whole grains is associated with numerous health benefits, including lowering your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure. They can also significantly improve your digestive health, although if you have a gluten sensitivity or intolerance, you should avoid wheat, barley and rye.
Whole grains deliver a variety of important nutrients such as B vitamins, iron, zinc, proteins, fiber and other healthy plant compounds. Common examples include oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice, bulgur and wild rice, among others.
“Start with replacing refined grains in your diet with whole grains,” suggests Dr. Anyaoku. “Replace white pasta with whole-wheat pasta, choose corn tortillas over white tortillas and swap out white rice with brown rice, or a different whole grain such as quinoa or farro.”
Understand portion sizes
Visualizing what a healthy portion size is can be confusing, especially when ordering takeout or eating at a restaurant where you’re likely getting portions that are enough for two or more people.
When you’re not able to measure your food with cups, spoons or scales, you can use your hands to estimate portion sizes. Of course, hand sizes can vary, which can affect these measurements.
Here are some rough estimates for measuring portions with an adult hand:
Thumb tip (from the nail) = 1 teaspoon of peanut butter, olive oil or salad dressing.
Thumb = 1 ounce, such as cheese.
Fist = 1 cup of vegetables, fruit or grains.
Cupped hand = 1 to 2 ounces of nuts.
Palm = 3 ounces of fish, chicken or meat. If you have a larger palm, account for 4 to 5 ounces.
Eat more fish
Not only is fish among the healthiest foods out there, but it’s also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are crucial to body and brain function. Incorporating fish into your diet may also lower your risk of heart attack and stroke, as well as decrease your risk of type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Anyaoku suggests aiming to include two portions of fish a week into your diet. Fish that is likely to be available at your local store includes salmon, trout, sardines, cod or tuna.
“Fresh, frozen and canned fish are all great to include in your diet. However, keep in mind that canned and smoked fish can be high in salt, so eat those in moderation,” says Dr. Anyaoku.
Limit highly processed foods
Most of us are familiar with what highly processed foods are. They’re normally sweet or salty and packaged. While they can be hard to resist, they’re loaded with added ingredients such as sugar, salt, oil and chemical preservatives. Consuming highly processed foods regularly can lead to the development of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.
“Be aware of the foods you’re eating and pay attention to nutrition labels. In many cases, the longer the ingredient list, the more processed a food is,” says Dr. Anyaoku. Here are some swaps you can make to limit the amount of highly processed foods in your diet:
- DIY pita chips instead of flavored potato chips
- Homemade oatmeal instead of sweetened breakfast cereals
- Dark chocolate squares instead of a flavored candy bar
Make water your go-to drink
Drinking water and staying hydrated is more important than you may think. It can help increase your energy levels, lift your mood and flush toxins from your body. Another benefit is that it has zero calories, sugar or fat, while other drinks like soda, juice and other sweetened beverages are full of empty calories.
Drinking too much soda or sugary drinks can lead to health problems such as weight gain, increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, digestive issues and increased overall inflammation. By switching to water, you can increase your overall health and avoid developing any of these potential health issues.
Dr. Anyaoku suggests aiming to drink eight, 8-ounce glasses of water per day. If the taste of water is too bland for you, try adding flavor by throwing in a few mint leaves, lemon slices, ginger or fresh fruit.
Choose baking instead of frying
The method you use to prepare your meals is equally as important when it comes to making healthy food decisions. Deep-frying or pan-frying foods add extra saturated fat and unnecessary calories, increasing the risk of developing heart disease.
Instead, try other options that decrease fat intake such as baking, grilling, roasting, steaming or broiling your food. If you’re missing the texture of fried foods, you may want to opt for an air fryer, which uses air instead of oil to cook food to a fried-like consistency.
Create a weekly eating plan
Planning your meals for the upcoming week not only saves you trips to the grocery store, but it’s also a helpful way to make sure you’re eating well. When you’re hungry and your blood sugar drops, you’re more likely to get the fastest food option possible, which is usually unhealthy. Meal planning ensures that you’re always prepared with a well-balanced food option.
“Meals cooked at home are typically healthier and lower in calories compared to eating out or ordering takeout. It gives you control over what ingredients you choose to include,” says Dr. Anyaoku. Make planning your meals easier with these simple tips:
- Start a calendar of what you’d like to cook over the next few days
- Chose a designated shopping day
- Make a shopping list and stick to it while at the store
- Prep healthy snacks such as carrot and celery sticks or homemade trail mix so they’re available whenever you get hungry
Remember, take small steps to improve your diet instead of trying to do it all at once. Incorporating these tips will help guide you to better overall health that is sure to last.
To get started on your path to better health, visit AdventistMedicalGroup.org/Healthy.
