Are you sure you realize the connection between what you eat and your overall health? At a recent doctor's visit, a patient reviewed his diabetes medication with his doctor. He was surprised when he was told that if he lost weight he could be taken off the drugs he was taking. He told his doctor that he'd been overweight for 20 years and had only known of his diabetes for two years. He told the doctor that this was the first time anyone had told him that his diabetes was related to his weight.
Did you know that 80 percent of all cases of type 2 diabetes are related to weight. One of every three cancer deaths is linked to excessive body weight, poor activity. Moreover, your risk of dying prematurely increases even if you're just 10 pounds overweight. We should know that eating whole grains reduces the risk of colorectal cancer, while consuming red and processed meat increases it.
Studies have shown that dietary fiber is important to staving off heart disease, infections and respiratory illness and that drinking a glass or two of wine daily can reduce the risk of diabetes.
I learned that older adults that drink two or three cups of coffee per day, caffeinated or decaffeinated, have a 10 percent lower risk of premature death than those who abstain. I always thought drinking coffee was bad for your health and that decaffeinated was better than caffeinated. My mother always said that "coffee makes you darker", so what African American woman would want to drink coffee if they believed that? Interesting how new scientific information can make you embrace different lifestyle changes.
In spite of new dieting fads and gimmicks, the tried and true basics of weight loss never seem to change. Let's take a look at some of the familiar pillars of healthy eating, but with open eyes and open minds.
- Drink More WaterOften times, we don't realize how many calories we consume through sodas, juices, alcoholic drinks and other beverages. Maybe you're aware of the cost of sugary drinks and pride yourself in drinking diet sodas. No sugar, right? Research shows that diet sodas may increase the body's craving for sugar-sweetened, high-calorie foods. Diet drinks also disrupt our ability to properly estimate the number of calories we are consuming, so we eat more than we ordinarily would. Finally, drinking more than two diet sodas a day is associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, as well as and heart disease, according to University of Miami researchers.
- Fill up on Fruits and VeggiesIncorporating fruits and veggies into your daily diet will help you live longer. Researchers at Penn State found that consuming these antioxidant-rich foods can result in weight loss even when you're not trying to drop pounds. Fresh produce contains water, so you feel satisfied longer. Potatoes tend to include unhealthy-add-ons, like butter, bacon, and sour cream, or we eat them as french fries drenched in oil. Stay away from potatoes for the first few weeks, then add them as baked potatoes without the toppings or as baked "fries", skipping the oil.
Personally, I didn't like fruit or vegetables. I brought fruit for my children, but never encouraged them to eat it. For years, we never ate salads, ate beef at most meals and our choices of vegatables was limited to green peas or green beans. What a boring palate! When I changed from beef to chicken and poultry, I wasn't happy, but I did it for my family's health. Years later, I learned to enjoy fruit as a sweet treat, a tide-me-over snack, and even as dessert. now it's my choice over other high calorie options. I've increased the different types of veggies we eat and enjoy. These changes were made a step at a time and were based on information about "eat this" not "that" and other recommendations for healthier eating. It was probably a ten year journey with little successes along the way. The journey to healthier eating begins with the first step.
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