Healthy Habits We Should Know by Heart!

How many times have you said, tomorrow I will watch what I eat? Or starting Monday I am going back to the gym? Oh come on, most of us can relate. Life is often so chaotic we're lucky to get something besides dollar menu items on the table for dinner. No one is alone in this, we all struggle with balancing good habits and merely surviving. As we prepare for the biggest "eating" holiday of the year I offer this, don't panic. Eating has never really been the issue. Oh no, its not even really what you eat that has been the issue. It's how often, how much and balance.

Just to clarify, I am not a doctor nor am I a nutritionist. I don't have all the answers and sometimes have more questions than I know what to do with. But I do know that balance is key and that follow through is more important than anything else.The plan is typically fail proof, if we could follow it, consistently. If someone could teach me its not so much the popcorn I eat but the fact that I can eat it all that really causes my problems. Disliking hot french bread and melting butter would be a plus too.

I recently visited with my friend Debi and found out that she has learned that she is diabetic. She and I had the best talk about food, portions and our love for hamburgers. I chose the picture above as it reminds me of the plate her nutritionist gave her. I thought how cool is this. The plate here and in Debi's case has sections that are portioned for what you should be eating and apparently it can't exceed two inches high. I had joked with Debi that I good deal with three inches wide and twelve inches high of mashed potatoes, then she broke it to me... only two inches high. Insert sad face!

All kidding aside it just drives home the fact that we don't have to 'deny' ourselves of the things that we enjoy, just be careful of how much of our favorites we're eating. When reading all the great articles at choosemyplate.gov I found that in summary it again is very basic.

Balancing Calories
●	Enjoy your food, but eat less.
●	Avoid oversized portions.
Foods to Increase
●	Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
●	Make at least half your grains whole grains.
●	Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
Foods to Reduce
●	Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals ― and choose the foods with lower numbers.
●	Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

There are several more great articles and tips to read and ingest. Following this and adding 30 minutes of exercise three times a week can change everything. Living longer, heart healthier lives is a great goal to have as we head into 2012, together we can do anything.