How To Choose Healthy Foods

By Natasha Ryan, ND, Regional Wellness Manager

Knowles Apothecary Wellness

. http://www.knowleswellness.com/

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How To Choose Healthy Foods

Have you or or a loved one been diagnosed with diabetes or heart disease? These two conditions are rapidly increasing in the U.S. with an estimated 8.3% of the population with diabetes and 37% with some form of coronary artery disease. Study after study is showing that lifestyle modification is an important part of preventing and improving these life-threatening conditions.

Getting enough exercise, managing stress, sleeping well and eating healthy are all things that we know we should do. With the fast pace of our lives, accomplishing all of these things everyday can be difficult, especially eating healthy. In order to eat a nourishing diet, you must first make the right food choices. What you eat on a daily basis can have a direct impact on your blood sugar, cholesterol, and level of inflammation which is a marker that is being linked to cancer, diabetes and more. Here are a few recommendations on how to make healthy dietary choices on a daily basis.

Vegetables When choosing your veggies, you want to have a rainbow of colors represented. Shoot for a minimum of two and a half cups per day. This will help you obtain the much needed nutrients and fiber that they provide. Fiber helps remove waste from the body and you want to have a minimum of 30 grams per day.

Dark green vegetables such as broccoli, kale, chard, spinach and dark lettuce such as romaine, can help provide this much needed fiber and other important minerals such as magnesium, calcium and selenium. Some studies show that up to 70% of Americans are deficient in magnesium so eat your greens. Carrots and sweet potatoes are great sources of beta-carotene as well as vitamin C, potassium and folate. If you have diabetes or heart disease, you may require a higher level of nutrients due to the various medications that you are taking. Some medications deplete vitamins and minerals so ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have specific questions.

Fruits Too much of a good thing can be bad for you and fruit is a prime example. Although good sources of antioxidants and fiber, it is important to remember that fruit is nature's candy. When you eat fruit, it will be broken down into sugar which can be detrimental to both diabetics and those with heart disease. Fruits are very important. Fresh fruit is better than canned fruits. Berries such as blueberries, raspberries and others tend to have less of an impact on blood sugar than melons or other very sweet fruits. Stick to more vegetables as a fiber source to ensure a more manageable blood sugar.

Protein Most people over consume protein from meat sources (beef, chicken, pork). You want to measure the amount of your meat by comparing it with the size of your palm. This will ensure that you are not consuming too much protein which can lead to consuming too many calories in general. Also when choosing protein from animal sources, look for lean cuts if high cholesterol or weight is a concern. Some of the more healthy ways to prepare your meat are to bake it, grill it, or broil it, as this will prevent excess grease getting into your meal. Here are some other great sources of protein to add to your diet fish, beans, peas, and nuts.

Making healthy choices is a daily task. Follow some of the guidelines in this article and cut down on refined foods such as chips, cookies, sodas and fast foods. This will help you or someone you know improve their overall health or disease states such as diabetes or heart disease.