Project MANA - A Hunger Relief Agency

The overall goal of stepping up to better nutrition and health is so simple that it is often overlooked. That is the goal to feel good.

Individuals on the path to eating better and exercising more often tend to focus on specific medical or physical benefits that are supposed to transpire naturally from their efforts to attain a healthier lifestyle.

It seems that the public is frequently swept away with the continual onset of new fad diets that promote severely cutting down how much we eat, often involving cutting out entire food groups from our diets.

The fact that these fad diets are so popular among Americans while rates of obesity and cardiovascular diseases continue to rise is a clear indicator that the general public is neglecting to honor the fundamental goal of making healthier choices.

To sustain the practice of healthier habits, it is vital to do some major repairs to the mental approach we generally take towards making changes. The first step is to constantly focus on the fact that our ultimate goal is to be healthy and feel good.

That’s it.

Alternative sub-goals like weight loss might prove to be a good incentive, but the objective to feel good must be what drives our choices.

A key component of the goal to feel good is that it is a very positive goal. There should be absolutely nothing negative about striving for and sustaining a state of feeling truly good and healthy. Yet the way almost everyone approaches making healthier choices is through a negative mental framework. The term, “I will cut down on my consumption of sweets and fried foods to lose some extra weight,” is far more common than the term, “I will purchase and consume more of my favorite fruits and vegetables, and walk or ride my bike every day.”

Though both terms aim at sustaining healthier choices, the first is negative and likely to lead to frustration and disappointment. To “cut down” or “lose” something that we enjoy feels tough if not unbearable.

On the other hand, to “add more” of the things we enjoy feels easy and fun.

I’m inclined to believe that adding enjoyable healthy practices to our lives naturally decreases unhealthy practices. Why expend mental energy worrying over a bowl of ice cream when you could get excited about consuming fresh squeezed orange juice or a colorful salad? You just might find that by adding more tasty nutritious foods to your diet, you will indulge in that bowl of ice cream less often, but when you do you’ll reap full satisfaction in the place of your former worry.

When it comes to nutrition, the bottom line is to feel good and think in positives rather than negatives. Once the proper mental approach is in place, the rest should follow quite naturally. The following are some basic principles of healthy eating that are easy to put to use when making positive choices.

Indulge in fruit and vegetables. The reasons are infinite. A variety of fruit and vegetables will load you up with the micronutrients, minerals, and fiber that you need to function optimally. It pays off for well-being in the long run, as research shows that a diet rich in produce defends the body from multiple diseases and ailments, including high blood pressure, strokes and heart disease, digestive problems, and probably some cancers. A diet high in fruit and vegetables also strengthens eyesight, and wards off diseases that threaten vision.

To take on this practice, say good-bye to the “five a day” motto and start including fruit and vegetables in every meal. Aim for covering half of your plate with them. This should be a fun task. The key is to assemble a variety of nutritious, versatile, and flavorful fruit and vegetables that you can work with every day. Stroll the produce aisles and experiment with new items. Think in color. Bright orange, red, or yellow items deliver serious results for your health and taste buds.

Leafy greens constitute another nutritional powerhouse. Play with different ways to prepare fruit and vegetables, and enjoy it!

Choose whole grain carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are not evil and you should not cut them from your diet if you want to feel good. Instead, try maximizing their potential to increase and sustain your energy level by choosing the best bang for your buck. The foods that we typically think of when choosing carbohydrates include high starch items like bread, pasta, grains, and potatoes. So substitute whole wheat bread for white bread, whole grain pasta for regular, and brown rice (or other whole grains) for white rice or refined grains. If that doesn’t sound fun, try it and see how it feels.

Consuming whole grain foods delivers approximately all the essential and naturally occurring nutrients found in the grain seed. It also has a more gradual impact on blood sugar, since the body takes longer to digest these carbohydrates. On the other hand, the body converts potatoes and refined grain foods like white bread to blood sugar quickly, even though they consist of complex carbohydrates.

Eat healthy fats. Like carbohydrates, fats are an essential component of the diet that help the body function at full capacity. The key when choosing fatty foods is to focus on foods containing a high degree of healthy fats. Look for sources of mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats such as olive and canola oils, avocado, or a variety of nuts and seeds including walnuts, almonds, flax seeds, or sunflower seeds. Saturated fat is less necessary in the diet, since the body produces the amount that it needs on its own. However, it is an unnecessary challenge to eliminate saturated fat from the diet.

Just recall that in excess, it contributes to cardiovascular disease. Trans-fat, at the risk of taking a negative frame of mind, is dangerous. For every extra 2 percent of calories consumed from transfat daily, the risk of coronary heart disease increases by 23 percent. Avoid this fat as much as possible.

Consume protein from a variety of healthy foods. Also essential for optimal health, protein serves a variety of functions for the body. It produces necessary enzymes and hormones. It regulates important body processes and assists the construction and repair of tissues. Though Americans generally eat far more protein than they need, it somehow feels reassuring for us to center most of our meals around some form of protein.

When choosing foods high in protein, choose foods high in nutrients and low in harmful fats. Great examples of vegetable proteins are beans, nuts, and whole grains. Fish and poultry are the best animal sources of protein. Try new high-protein grains like quinoa. Experiment with beans and lentils to make burgers, soups, or curries. Seek out enticing new recipes for salmon or chicken.

Taking care of yourself through nutrition will make you feel healthy, so remember to enjoy the whole process from preparation to mealtime.

Continually experiment with new ingredients. Use aromatic herbs and spices. Blend in vibrant color schemes. And sit down to as many meals as possible with friends and loved ones. These tasks are equally important in developing and sustaining healthier nutrition practices that lead to overall enjoyment and well-being.

Gwen Staley is the community outread coordinator and AmeriCorps member at Project MANA.