New Year's resolutions aside, most of us find making andsticking to the resolve to eat healthier a bit of a challenge,to say the least. And that's even though study after study showsthat people who eat healthier have a greater chance of livinglonger, better lives. For example, a study published last yearof over 42,000 women suggested that women who ate closest to therecommended number of servings of fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, low-fat dairy and lean meats and poultry definitelylived longer.
So what's the problem with eating healthier? Many times, it'sall in how we define it.
Positive or Negative?
When we say the words 'healthyeating,' what's the first thing that comes to your mind? Isit a positive thought, such as "I feel better" or "It energizesme"? Or is it something negative, such as "boring,""inconvenient" or "small portions"?
If you're like the majority of women who come to Green Mountain,the list of negative reactions is much longer than the list ofpositive reactions. While we all recognize the positive benefitsof healthy eating, it's our negative feelings about it that endup creating obstacles to our doing it on a regular basis. Weoften feel that healthy eatingrecipes don't taste good, and we have pictures of ourselvesspending hours in the kitchen chopping vegetables.
Certainly, if that's your vision, it's easy to see why healthyeating doesn't particularly appeal. But take a moment to thinkabout why you choose the foods you do when you make an attemptto eat healthy. We frequently choose foods that are lowest infat, sugar, salt, calories...and therefore, taste andconvenience. Why? Because we're not seeking to eat healthy asmuch as we are trying to lose weight.
Changing the Definition
The trouble is, many of us have perceptions of healthy eatingthat are defined by diets. The diets that have "educated" usabout healthy eating, or our own desire to take weight off fast,have led us to equate healthy eating with consuming the minimumnumber of calories we can get by with. And that often leaves usunsatisfied, or facing a great deal of difficulty in feedingourselves when we're not in our kitchens preparing our ownmeals.
The solution? Embrace the notion that healthy eating does include higher-fat, higher-sugar,higher-calorie foods if you like them. Within the context of anoverall eating plan that features lower-fat, lower-sugar,lower-calorie foods the majority of the time, a few chocolatechip cookies or small bag of potato chips can be just the thingyou need to make healthy eating work for you, for both weightloss and good health.
So start today. Resolve to eat healthy. But remember, it doesn'tmatter how healthy a food is -- if it doesn't taste good, you'renot likely to continue eating it. Eat balanced meals and snacksthat include your favorite foods. And think broadly about whatyour favorite foods are. Many of us love carrot sticks andchocolate chip cookies. Maybe not at the same time, but over thecourse of a day, it's easy to fit both in.
Here's to a long, healthy life...enjoying eating in a way thattruly feels great!
For 35 years, Green Mountain at Fox Run has developed andrefined a life-changing program exclusively for women seekingpermanent strategies for healthy weightloss and health. Based on a combination of proven scienceand what works in the real world, our innovative non-dietlifestyle program offers an integrated curriculum of practical,liveable techniques that helps women take charge of theireating, their bodies and their health. Our approach is notfocused on just losing weight but on how to keep it off for alifetime. Our participants' long-term results areamong the highest of any program, as documented in peer-reviewedscientific literature. Learn more about our Healthy Weight LossSpa - Fitness and Retreat.
About the author:Alan H. Wayler, PhD is executive director of Green Mountain atFox Run, a women's weight lossprogram and healthy eating program since 1973. The programprovides an integrative health lifestyle approach for achievinglong-term weight and health management for women. He is alsoco-author of a healthyweight loss blog.
