Weight is an issue for me because I inherited the genes to be extra large. I like being a “medium” size, but I don't like giving up food that tastes good. So I'm developing my own diet based on adding healthy food instead of subtracting the not-so-healthy. Here are the things I'm adding:
Vegetables. I eat salads at restaurants enough to get tired of salads, so I also seek out veggie plates with cooked vegetables. My favorite Japanese restaurant makes chicken Teriyaki with a double helping of steamed vegetables, no rice, for me several times a week. And I deliberately eat some vegetables just to be eating vegetables. I keep “sack salad”, raw celery, and little tomatoes in the refrigerator to eat while I'm watching television.
Spices. They add flavor with negligible calories, and have bonus health benefits too. See my article “Spice Up Your Life” by clicking here.
Whole Grains. I shop carefully for 100% whole wheat bread, crackers, and pasta. I bake my own whole wheat brownies.
Nuts and Berries. I go for all kinds of nuts. Two of my favorites are pistachios in the shell for snacks, and slivered almonds mixed with freshly ground flax seeds as a breakfast cereal. I buy fresh blueberries and strawberries, which are expensive but healthy goodies.
Fun. There have been days in my life when the best thing I had to look forward to was chocolate. Or pizza. Or some other food. This is not the way I want to live every day. So I put a lot of effort into finding things to do for fun.
For me, this works because it's a positive approach. The junk food just gets pushed out of the way bit by bit. Comments, anyone?
by Linda Fugate, Ph.D.