SALT LAKE – As spring approaches, the sun begins to shine a little brighter each day, the grass looks a little greener, flower buds begin to appear, and people begin to peel their houses and yards.
Spring cleaning is a great way to refresh your home and life, so why not do a spring cleaning with your diet?
I am not referring to a fad diet that is unrealistic and only leads to temporary results. Instead, I recommend that you clean up your spring diet slowly by choosing one or two of the suggestions below to work at some point. Once you have made a regular one, choose another one to work on.
You may be working on these goals longer than it takes in the spring, but it will definitely be worth it in the long run. By decreasing some foods in your diet and increasing others, you can establish healthy habits that will benefit you for a lifetime.
Reduce sweets
Excessive consumption of added sugars has been associated with health problems such as tooth decay (or cavities), as well as weight gain, heart disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Added sugars do not include naturally occurring sugars, such as fruit or milk sugars, and creep into our diet in a variety of ways.
Some are quite obvious, such as sweets such as cakes, pies, ice cream, candy, pastries, jams, jellies and other sweets. Other sources might be a little more surprising, such as sauces, gravy, marinades, sweetened yogurts, cold cereals, biscuits, granola and more.
One of the biggest culprits is not what we eat, but rather what we drink. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sugar-sweetened beverages are the no. 1 of sugars added to the American diet. These include, but are not limited to, regular soda, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, flavored waters and sweetened coffee, tea and alcoholic beverages. Switching from sugary drinks to water is a great way to reduce the added sugars in your diet.
No need to take cold turkey and cut all the sweets from the diet overnight or completely. Enjoying a treat from time to time is good. The main goal is to enjoy them in moderation, keeping the added sugars to less than 10% of your total daily calories, as recommended in the American Dietary Guide.
Eat fat – the healthiest
Fats have been a controversial topic for decades. Do we eat them or avoid them? Instead of the “all or nothing” approach, the answer depends on the type of fat. Dietary guidelines for Americans recommend limiting saturated fat intake to less than 10% of daily calories, and trans fat intake should be kept to a minimum. These types of fats can increase your “bad” LDL cholesterol, increasing your risk of heart disease.
Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and are found naturally in foods from animal sources, such as red meat, poultry and dairy products. They are also commonly found in other snacks and treat foods such as chips, cakes, cookies, pastries, fries and ice cream.
Just as important as reducing saturated and trans fats is what you replace them with. Studies have shown that when these less healthy fats are replaced with carbohydrates, the risk of heart disease does not decrease. However, replacing saturated and trans fats with unsaturated fats can reduce the risk of heart disease.
Unsaturated fats include polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. They are found naturally in many plant foods, such as nuts, seeds, avocados, soy and the oils obtained from these foods. They are also found in fish and other seafood. Include these healthy fats in your diet by tasting a small handful of nuts, cooking with avocado or olive oil, incorporating fish into your weekly meal plan, or adding toast or avocado salad.
No need to take cold turkey and cut all the sweets from the diet overnight or completely. Enjoy a delicacy from time to time is good. The main goal is to enjoy them in moderation.
– Brittany Poulson, registered dietitian
Heap the vegetables
The only food group that most people admit they didn’t get is vegetables. In fact, according to the CDC, only 1 in 10 Americans consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables daily. Vegetables are packed with beneficial nutrients and studies continue to show the benefits of daily consumption. However, they still lack the average American diet.
The first step to including more vegetables in your diet is to have them at home. When you bring vegetables home from the store, don’t just push them into the cooler drawer in the fridge to be forgotten. Make them easily accessible by cutting carrots, broccoli, celery and cauliflower into chopsticks or bite pieces. Then put them in bags and keep them on the shelf in the refrigerator at eye level.
Keep the bags of frozen vegetables in the freezer to catch and easily throw them in a soup or casserole, mix them in a pasta dish or heat them as a light side. Add variety by cooking your vegetables in different ways, such as steaming, frying, grilling, frying or roasting. Heap the vegetables on top of the sandwich, burger, taco and pizza. You can also mix your eggs with some sauteed vegetables, add fried vegetables to your bowl of whole grains, or mix some raw vegetables into your morning smoothie.
To get crazy
Not just bananas, but berries, grapes, oranges, apples and more. Including fruits as part of your diet will provide you with nutrients such as antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Whether fresh, frozen, dried or canned, all fruits can be good for you. If you choose canned food, opt for those preserved in 100% juice or water. For frozen or dried fruits, make sure that the fruit is the only ingredient listed without added sugars.
Fruit juice can be a sweet addition to your day, but make sure you keep track of portion sizes (adults should be limited to 8 ounces) and always choose 100% juice. I usually recommend eating whole fruits rather than drinking juice, because the juice usually lacks the fiber found in the whole fruit. Eating an orange will help you feel fuller and more saturated than drinking a glass of orange juice.
Go meatless once a week
High consumption of red meat, especially processed meat, has been linked to various chronic health problems, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. While red meat contains several important nutrients – such as essential proteins, vitamin B12, iron and zinc – eating large amounts may not be such a good idea.
The World Cancer Research Fund recommends reducing red meat – especially processed meats such as salami, hot dogs, ham, bacon, beef, delicacies and a few sausages – to a maximum of three servings a week.
Setting a goal to lose meat one day a week will definitely help you meet this recommendation. Attract your protein needs by consuming plant proteins such as nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, tofu and whole grains. Choose any day of the week you want for meatless meals and make it a habit every week. Monday is a popular choice, started by the Meatless Monday movement.
Try lentil biscuits, three-sister chili, crispy tofu or stuffed sweet potatoes for a delicious meatless meal. With all the ways to enjoy herbal protein, you might not even miss the meat once a week.
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