Changing Your Eating Habits
by Dorothy Crumbly
How did your New Year’s Resolution work out? Most studies show that 80% of all resolutions fail by February. Don’t beat up on yourself. Since most resolutions revolve around health and wellness, try one of the suggestions below to help you feel better.
1. Eat fish three times a week. For a healthy lifestyle, most health professionals recommend eating omega-3 fatty acids fish three times a week which have anti-inflammatory properties. Fish that are rich in Omega-3s and relatively low in mercury include herring (fresh or pickled, mackerel (Atlantic only), sablefish, salmon (fresh, canned or smoked, wild or farmed), sardines (Atlantic), and fresh or canned bluefin tuna. Some think that any fish is good, but try to avoid fried fish of any kind and avoid all bottom feeder fish such as sway and catfish. If you can’t get good fish three times a week, take a flax seed supplement which is Omega3 rich.
2. Cut back on unhealthy fats. With the cooperation of your family, cut back tremendously on saturated fat primarily found in beef, pork, lamb, dairy products and poultry skin. Bacon, sausage, salt pork, ham hocks, ox tails and cured turkey wings are saturated fats that you should try to reduce. Trans fats are often found in cakes, cookies, and chips. If they are in the house, have family members help to decide which ones to keep and throw away. Both saturated fat and trans-fat greatly increase levels of inflammatory chemicals in the body.
3. Cut back on sugar and juices. More and more studies are showing that sugar and refined carbohydrates are contributing to the epidemic of diabetes and belly fat. Health officials don’t know what our optimal waist size should be, but most suggest no more than 40″ for men and no more than 35″ for women. Waist circumference is an absolutely vital sign in determining your health and especially your children’s health. If you are buying orange juice because it is healthy, read the label. Any juice that has “made from concentrate” on the label, you are getting more sugar than juice. Don’t let sweet tea and soft drinks make your waist expand.
4. Get 25 grams of fiber a day. A high fiber diet helps to control appetite and reduce inflammation. All plants contain some fiber. Among the best sources are beans, whole grains and vegetables. Research shows that people who eat beans three times a week have a smaller waist circumference. Don’t forget that high fiber broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale have been shown in research to lower the risk of cancer, particularly breast cancer.
5. Eat colorful fruits and vegetables. Produce with deep colors and intense flavors is high in flavonoids and carotenoids that prevent or delay certain kinds of cell damage. Cut raw fruit and/or veggies to make them look attractive and easy to eat; offer them to your family after you have eliminated the sugar and salty snacks from the house. Although they can be expensive serve berries as often as you can.
6. Eat grapes. In a new study of mice, published in August 2022, Dr. John Pezzuto and colleagues found that the antioxidant in grapes improve neuron function protecting the brain from developing dementia. When the researchers compared the liver, brain and metabolic health of the mice that ate the most grapes each had a higher metabolism, longer life span, and a reduced risk for fatty liver disease. Eat grapes each day if you can afford them.
7. Get enough Magnesium. Doctors are getting much better at testing for Vitamin D, but some doctors overlooked an 18 year Harvard study of 120,000 men and women who had a 23% higher risk of type 2 diabetes than people due to low magnesium levels. Magnesium relaxes blood vessels, lowering blood pressure, and keeps calcium dissolved in the blood, preventing artery-clogging calcium deposits. There are various forms of the mineral, so talk to your doctor about magnesium.
8. Get enough exercise. You already know that 30 minutes a day three to four times a week of aerobic exercise is adequate.
Finally, it takes time to develop and change a lifestyle. A good way to start is to take one suggestion number from above and work on it for a month with your family. Forget quick-start resolutions and work toward real change. Good Luck!
