Easy Transitions to Healthier Eating

With a full year ahead of us, now is the perfect time to reset yourself when it comes to food and start making simple changes to our eating habits to make healthy eating less of a "resolution," a "sacrifice" or a "burden," and more of an easy, ingrained, natural part of everyday life.

Here, I discuss some uncomplicated ways to make those tiny adjustments to our food decisions that can stave off weight gain, make us feel more satisfied, thrill our taste buds and keep us healthier, for longer.

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Pooja Mottl, a Green, Whole Food Chef and Healthy Lifestyle Coach, focuses on sustainable eating. She is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts. You can find all her latest recipes and other healthy living tips and tools at Pooja's Way

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Comments

[local21]

06:57 AM on 01/19/2012

I'm not a snacker at night but one trick you can do after dinner is brush your teeth, floss and gargle with mouthwash instead of waiting until you go to bed.

[Sunflo]

04:47 AM on 01/19/2012

Eat out less. Watch your portions. Stop eating late at night.

[Fagen44]

11:54 AM on 01/18/2012

Yes Pooja, what you say makes all the sense in the world and everyone should take your advice. The things that always seems to destroy this is that most people always seem to revert back to their old eating habits and before they know it, they are back where they started and this causes a sort of depression and they become defeated again. I know the best way to lose weight is a simple formula which everyone should know and that is, Burn more Calories than you consume each and every day and do some sort of daily exercise. It's that Simple! The Big Problem with most People is Breaking the bad eating Habits that are ingrained in their minds and have become bad habits which are very hard to break. Almost everyone loses the weight but can't seem to keep it off and this is directly related to the Bad Habits or Psychological Barriers that they need to overcome. Some can do this but many can not, so these are the ones that need the most help.

[k9smith1966]

11:47 AM on 01/18/2012

I tried every diet under the sun and finally found the only relatively easy diet to stick with because it allowed me to eat all I want by making better food choices. I used "Zen Macrobiotics for Americans" by Research Chemist Roger Mason. FREE DOWNLOAD in PDF format at:
http://www.youngagain.org/books.html

[Gadgetman]

11:25 AM on 01/18/2012

That picture makes it seem like chocolate is unhealthy. Nonsense!

[chiGrkBoy]

07:03 AM on 01/18/2012

Best thing I find is to cook your own food. You'll at least know what you're ingesting.

[Eden Godsoe]

08:59 PM on 01/17/2012

For me it's that I fall into traps (or tricky marketing!) So many things are labeled "diet" or "low fat" that aren't really healthy. Or habits that you think cut calories are really retained water or making you more hungry. This food & health blogger did a great job rounding up those things that we should all stop.

7 Things You Think Are Healthy...But Really Aren't
http://www.skinnyscoop.com/list/jessboscarini/eating-healthy-your-body-doesnt-think-so

[spkninglsh]

08:22 PM on 01/17/2012

You had me at dark chocolate.

[OnDeadEars]

08:03 PM on 01/17/2012

Great article. I have a friend who is turning vegan in order to be healthier and I know she would definitely find this article interesting. Even I, who occasionaly indulge in processed foods, loved this! Particularly the make-your-own-dressing bit. I'm seriously looking up recipes right now!

[cherylnorman21]

05:27 PM on 01/17/2012

Instead of fresh squeezed orange juice, eat the orange. When you extract juice, you discard all the fiber. What a waste. Or buy a Vitamix and make whole fruit orange juice.

[babybelle]

06:37 PM on 01/17/2012

Vitamix are expensive. I bought one on Amazon but returned it.
I know the way they say to clean it, but I am so picky I like to take something apart to make sure it is real clean and I couldn't do that with a Vitamix.
I bought a Miallegro immersion blender which I really like. .
All the blades detatch and there is even a processor bowl to make crushed ice .

[cherylnorman21]

05:20 PM on 01/17/2012

I particularly like the yogurt idea. I live in Florida and have access to fresh fruit all year. I buy plain yogurt and often don't sweeten at all. Or I may add a touch of honey. Fresh oranges with plain yogurt and a bit of pure vanilla extract is awesome!

[babybelle]

06:31 PM on 01/17/2012

I have never tried an ornage with yougurt but it sounds good . I will try it.
I like Fage plain yogurt with a sliced Gala apple and walnuts and a bit of Stevia.

[babybelle]

01:25 PM on 01/17/2012

My immersion blender is my most used kitchen gadget.
Since getting this I have tried vegetables I never thought I would like.
For lunch I had cooked carrots, onions, and cauliflower pureed together. Added a sprinkle of Butter Buds, salt and pepper. It was delicious.
I have pureed cooked sweet potatoes , peppers, kale, collard greens spinach, aspargus and many other greens and added them to soup. Delicious ! With an immersion blender its easy to get vegetcbles in your diet.

[Pooja R. Mottl]

02:07 PM on 01/17/2012

Sounds delicious - a great tool and tip indeed! Thank you for taking the time. In good health, Pooja