Five golden rules for healthy eating that anyone can follow.

Five simple rules for healthy eating.

Our five golden rules for healthy eating that are simple enough that anyone can incorporate them into their lifestyle without much effort. Here’s why.

Fad diets don’t provide lasting results.

If you have been experimenting with different diets over the years, you might already know that fad diets can help you loose weight but few if any provide a long term solution for keeping the weight off. 

According to a recent report by David Katz, MD and Stephanie Meller at Yale University’s Prevention Research Center published in the Annual Review of Public Health, none of the fad diets including low fat, low carb, low-glycemic, Mediterranean, Paleo or vegan provide all of the health benefits claimed.

Changing your food habits is hard.

The food habits that we form early in life are hard to break, which is why many people regain weight lost on a fad diet. The most successful diets are not really diets at all.  Programs, such as Weight Watchers that help people learn portion size, good food choices and that offer emotional support are the most successful.  Learning the basics of a healthy diet doesn’t sound as exciting as an exotic new fad diet but it’s the only thing known to help people maintain a healthy weight. 

The long story short is that most of us already know that we should be eating less than we do now and that we should be eating fewer processed foods and more vegetables to live a healthy life.  What most struggle with is how to do it.  Having a few simple rules can help.

Our golden rules for healthy eating that might help you too.

1/ Be mindful of the portion size

When it comes to prepared food, snacks and drinks, there are few instances if any when bigger is better.  So as a general rule, always choose the smallest size. 

2/ End the day well

Before you prepare or order your last meal of the day, think about what you have already eaten.  If you haven’t eaten anything green, make your last meal a salad. 

3/ Limit treats

If you need to indulge, make it an outing and buy the smallest size.  Keeping treats in your home is an invitation to overindulge.

4/ Enjoy your food

Think about how you feel after you eat.  You should feel satisfied and energetic.  If not, stop eating those foods or at least, limit them.

5/ Talk with your friends

Talking about your weight and how you feel about your body is liberating no matter what your size or body type. You might discover a refreshing new perspective and/or the support you need to live healthier.