Living Healthy

Basic Principles of a Healthy Lifestyle

On a diet? Congratulations! You're taking charge of your body to ensure that you stay in good health. Here are some basic tips to help you with your diet, no matter which regimen you choose to follow:

Eating the right foods is half the battle; the other half is eating the right amount.

• A serving of meat isn't a whole sirloin steak; it's a portion of meat that's the size of a deck of playing cards!
• Get a scale and weigh your food until you become so familiar with portion size that you can tell just by looking.
• If you don't have a scale, use a measuring cup and measure out the amount of food your diet allows.

Always read nutrition labels so you can make food choices that work best with your diet.

When you cut out certain foods to accommodate your diet, you might be eliminating important sources of nutrients.

• Learn all you can about your diet from the nutrition point of view so you can learn to compensate.

Are you a couch potato? Get up and move about!

• To be healthy and fit, you need exercise to burn the calories you consume.
• Start small - even 15 minutes of brisk daily walking around the neighborhood is a start.
• Sign up for a gym membership with a friend so you can encourage each other when your motivation wanes.
• Or even simpler, get an exercise tape and work out at home.
• The point is to follow through consistently with regular activity - no matter how small - and increase duration over time.

Everybody wants to lose weight fast. But remember, you didn't gain the weight overnight, either. Don't get discouraged if the weight loss goes slowly.

• Give yourself time. If you make drastic changes that aren't sustainable, you'll end up gaining back any weight you lose. So go slow, but keep at it.
• You'll find that the changes you make in your eating habits and exercise routine will pay off over the long term and you'll be much happier with yourself.

Check with your doctor before you start a diet. It's the responsible thing to do.