6 Simple Ways To Eat Healthier

By Lonneke Engel for YouBeauty.com

The questions I get asked the most are: "I want to eat healthy. I want to get in shape. How do I do that? What should I eat? I am confused!"

I have to admit, eating healthy is confusing. The grocery aisles have become a marketing maze that's nearly impossible to navigate. For instance, some foods labeled "low-fat," contain such a large amount of sugar it can make you fat! (The excess energy from calorie-laden sugar is converted to fat in your body.) Also, a lot of foods you thought were great for you many contain so many artificial ingredients, or are so processed that they are not good for you at all.

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The Bottom Line

Educate yourself. Know what you eat at every meal. Eat what you love, but eat in moderation and take in the real deal -- real veggies and fruits -- there is no substitute for that!

I love the books Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen wrote, the "You" books. For instance "You: The Owner's Manual," is full of great tips to keep your body healthy, with some useful recipes as well. And of course Dr. Oz speaks about healthy foods all the time on The Doctor Oz Show and on his radio show.

If you want to learn what's best for you, just read, listen and watch anything that is giving you the right information about your food. I take in all information on food that I can!

Comments

[archarabia]

09:02 PM on 01/11/2012

Eating meat wouldn't leave such a big carbon footprint if we (a) ate it less frequently,

[moniquevolz]

02:07 PM on 11/15/2011

I just wrote a post on healthy desserts and tips for anyone who is new to eating healthy. It's a difficult learning process. I recommend starting small so your body can adjust to these changes in your diet. Once you begin seeing and feeling changes in your body, you'll be motivated to continue to seek healthier options! http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2011/11/top-five-easy-healthy-desserts-tips/

[Kenz300]

10:29 PM on 11/14/2011

Cut down on fat, sugar and salt. Exercise a little even if it is only taking the dog for a walk.

Obesity is a killer raising your chances for high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer.

Reduce your weight and you will feel better, be healthier and might even save money on doctor visits and prescriptions.

[HerrMonk]

06:20 PM on 11/14/2011

Eat more vegetables, then show a picture of "healthy snacks" with no vegetables...

To clarify eat more vegetables =/= eat less meat.

Instead, eat less grain, less sugar/fruit, less dairy.

[mmerteuil]

09:30 AM on 11/15/2011

i'm mega healthy, only eat wholegrains and i love my fruit. This sugar fruit thing is a myth. I dont have sugar in the house, dont need any. But fruit is full of water, fiber and vitamins, its great for you. I dont mean eating 2 pounds of fruit a day, but 2 to 3 pieces is ideal. Dairy is a hell on earth for health....

[mmerteuil]

09:33 AM on 11/15/2011

when i say only eat wholegrains - i dont mean i dont eat anything else haha. Jus that the grains I eat are whole, not processed. Of course i eat tons of veggies, legumes, nuts and this kind of stuff. Some eggs...

[Eden Godsoe]

12:13 PM on 11/14/2011

Appreciate the post - I definitely need to eat better. However not everyone has time to make home-cooked meals and eating salads on the go is a little tough. That's why I love this list of healthy snacks - things you can eat at your desk, in the car, etc.

Healthy Snacks for a Hectic Life
http://www.skinnyscoop.com/list/SkinnyScoop_Staff/healthy-and-tasty-foodat-your-desk-yes

[StrawHat]

10:07 PM on 11/13/2011

I try to eat more foods that are "alive" and less foods that have had the life beaten out of them.

Fresh oranges. Fresh lettuce. Fresh butternut squash. Alive.

Packaged dried dinners (just add water.) White bread. "American" cheese. Lifeless.

They body, mind and spirit know when food is full of life.

[rawfoodsphd]

11:57 AM on 11/13/2011

Great suggestions. What is amazing about raw and raw fusion recipes (and no, they aren't just carrot and celery sticks :-) is that you can truly taste all of the components and the richness of the raw ingredients. You feel better after you eat, rather than uncomfortably full and bloated, you radiate well-being as the food has not had all of its life force processed out of it. www.rawfusionliving.com

[onlyThis]

11:41 AM on 11/13/2011

Beans and rice. Simple, cheap, nutritious and you can add whatever you want.

[Pema]

12:08 PM on 11/13/2011

im so glad you posted one of my fav food, cheap or not. and you've hit upon a solid truth that most want to avoid. beans and rice is delicious. i think almost every ancient culture has a beans and rice dish...in syria and other arab countries have lentils and rice with carmelized onions. i always cook 1 cup of lentils( in 4.5 cups of water) and boil for about 15 minutes add one 1 cup of brown rices. i cook two small chopped onions in a bit of oil, not too little they have to be cooked down and some carmelization. serve with good yogurt. when ever my family comes to visit i always make this syrian comfort food.

[HerrMonk]

06:27 PM on 11/14/2011

By nutritious I think you mean nutrition-less.

Other than carbohydrates and some partial-protein in the beans, what "nutrition" to you think is there?

[I-US]

05:45 PM on 11/18/2011

Let's see: a dish of beans and rice has B vitamins (although not B12), zinc, magnesium, folate, iron, essential amino acids, manganese, potassium, selenium, phosphorous, copper, and fiber to name just a few of the benefits of a beans-and-rice dish.

[Miz Fit]

02:28 AM on 11/13/2011

Not so simple when time and money are limited.

[yiasounina]

04:52 AM on 11/13/2011

It doesn't take much time to prepare healthy food and maintain healthy eating hubit and it doesn't have to be expensive either. There's always TIME for good nutrition, just read.

[Miz Fit]

05:19 AM on 11/13/2011

I didn't say impossible, I said not so simple as the writer makes it out to be. And the money part, any suggestions for that?

[papparocket]

11:21 PM on 11/16/2011

We all say we don't have time to fix healthy food, but darned if we all don't find time to watch an hour or two or three or four of TV a day. You just have to decide what is more important to you. Here is a tip, cook for 12 (assuming family of 4) every third day. Most food makes great left overs. Invest in a set of glass and ceramic food storage containers. Another tip is to get the whole family in the kitchen to help cook. Not enough counter space, vegetables can be chopped at the table in the dining room. And if your kids don't want to help, well breakfast isn't that far away and nobody has ever starved to death from missing dinner.

[dpgaff]

11:48 PM on 11/12/2011

I have found that buying a variety of fruits and vegetables is expensive and difficult to carry. Now, I buy mixed fruits, mixed vegetables, combination juices, and salads in the bag. I also buy soups and stews, but usually I cook them myself to enjoy small amounts of many vegetables daily.

[gsapples]

09:06 PM on 11/12/2011

When I know I have a busy week coming up, I cook extra food on the weekend and freeze them to be used on nights where I don't have time to cook. It saves time and money.

[Kellybelle22]

10:15 PM on 11/12/2011

I agree! Unless I'm working, I generally always spend part of my Sunday making at least a couple of freezable dishes for the week ahead. It's important to me to be able to control the fat and salt content of what we eat.

[rini]

09:02 PM on 11/12/2011

Simple ways? Um, cooking and preparing food, buying local etc... are time consuming. I am trying to maintain a healthy diet and I try to buy organic and local (mainly for the environment) still, when you have ten minutes to eat... the above is not feasible.

[HazelPethigFan]

07:35 PM on 11/12/2011

It's interesting that the food zealots like this author have finally decided to stop claiming that organic foods are made without using chemical pesticides. Because they ARE!

Don't believe me? here's one called liquid copper used a fungicide:
http://www.arbico-organics.com/product/Bonide-Liquid-Copper-Fungicide/natural-organic-plant-disease-control

Liquid copper....yum yum. Oh how "natural"

[sabelmouse]

12:12 PM on 11/13/2011

are you a fan atic or do they pay you after all ?

[frank day]

07:35 AM on 11/14/2011

Oh My!!!
That is so rich coming from you.

Are you looking for another job???

[munki]

06:53 PM on 11/12/2011

How about eating herbal leaves... I love to chew and eat Basil, Oregano, Hawthorn and much more... sometimes, make tea out of it... also!!! thinly sliced ginger with honey...

[iam99]

05:01 PM on 11/12/2011

Please do teach your children to garden!

[munki]

06:53 PM on 11/12/2011

What if you live in a desert?
Cactus actually is good as well, except for the... yes...

[iam99]

04:40 AM on 11/13/2011

I like cactus - from a jar - those slippery little things.

[WilmaJune]

11:13 PM on 11/13/2011

You are so funny. The soil where I live is only good for growing weeds.