Healthy Eating Habits and Tips

Why should I eat healthy? For your and your family's happiness, that is why! Healthy eating can prevent most cases of heart disease and diabetes and help ward off high blood pressure, osteoporosis, stroke, and some forms of cancer. Healthy eating can even lower "bad" LDL cholesterol as much as low-dose statin drugs.

Healthy eating means choosing a variety of foods from the basic food groups: meat (or meat substitutes); dairy; fruits and vegetables; grains, such as breads and pasta; and a limited amount of fats and sweets.

Based on new studies, eating well can ward off 25% of all cancers and, combined with exercising regularly and not smoking, can prevent possibly 90% of cases of type 2 diabetes. Research has also shown that following a healthy eating plan can reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure and lower an already elevated blood pressure.

Healthy eating requires some meal planning and an effort to include a variety of foods in your meals. Once you are used to eating healthy and planning your meals ahead of time (this makes shopping much easier if you already know what you need!), you might actually save some money! Think about how much easier it will be to stick to your healthy diet when you have your meals already planned for you.

Healthy eating is also critical to your children's well being. The best way for you to encourage healthy eating is to eat well yourself. In addition, family meals offer the chance to introduce your child to new foods and to act as a role model for healthy eating. By developing your own plan for healthy eating, you'll be able to expand your range of healthy choices to include a variety of foods, especially delicious vegetables, grains, and fruits that you may have previously ignored.

Remember, eating right and exercising are very beneficial to getting and staying healthy. It always gives you:

* Energy all day long
* The vitamins and minerals your body need
* Strength for sports or other activities
* The ability to maintain a healthy weight