7 Food Mistakes We Make To Get Healthier

At the beginning of a new year is when most of us take a look at our diet.  Learn to avoid these common diet mistakes, and you’ll be on your way to a healthier you.

Eliminating all fats: You need healthy sources of fat to maintain essential body functions, sustain energy levels, slow digestion and feel fuller longer.  Make sure you eat plenty of good fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish, coconut oil,nuts and flax seeds.

Reducing calories too much: When you follow an extreme diet,  your body will catch on and lower your metabolism to accommodate the reduced supply of fuel. Then, when you return to your normal intake of food, you will regain that weight because you’re now consuming more calories.

Eating too much healthy food: Eating too much of anything leads to weight gain. No matter how healthy the food is, a calorie is still a calorie.  Hummus, pistachios and peanuts contain healthy fats but come with masses of calories and such foods can act as triggers for those with a tendency to overeat.

Eliminating carbohydrates: Complex, high-fiber carbohydrates like brown rice, beans and lentils should be part of any diet regimen.

Incorrect portion sizes: Know what an appropriate portion size really is.

Eating infrequently: For your body to work most efficiently, you should eat five or six small meals or snacks per day to keep your metabolism running strong and your energy level consistent.

Skipping breakfast: Breakfast gets your metabolic machinery running and sets your body’s course for the rest of the day. Missing breakfast leads to overeating later in the day as blood sugar drops.  If you can’t face breakfast, eating a handful of almonds, some yogurt, an egg … or any form of protein in the morning, about an hour after waking will be enough to stop you binging later in the day.

So how do successful folks eat healthy and maintain a health weight? The National Weight Control Registry studied the habits of the 10% of people who kept their weight at a healthy level for five years or more.

Here’s what they did:

78 per cent ate breakfast every day.
75 per cent weighed themselves at least once a week.
62 per cent watched less than ten hours of TV a week.
90 per cent exercised moderately for an hour every day (most chose walking)