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A Healthy Eating Plan is a bit different from a "diet" in the traditional sense of the word. The reason is that for so many of us, when we think of a diet we think of a shorter term, a finite change in our eating habits which will allow us to lose weight and then, well, change.
The faddish diets abound and come out to play in every single diet. From Atkins to South Beach, low-carb to low-sodium, low-fat to all soup, these diets are formulated, for the most part, on some understanding of nutrition.
The problem, however, is the difficulty in maintaining an extremely strict regimen of eating. This is an important piece in the obesity puzzle.
The reason many of us gain so much weight is a direct result of our having tried and "failed" so many of these diets. The yo-yo weight loss industry scoops us up, holds us up and then picks us back up again. This sets things up for us to then consequently repeat the cycle once we find that we can't maintain the rules.
Weight Watchers consistently differs from fad diets in that it truly does embrace a healthier eating plan mentality. It teaches people about counting calories, figuring out how many are appropriate and healthy for weight loss, weight maintenance and overall health.
By adopting this approach, a healthy eating plan can be more like a nutritional guidebook than a diet.
For most people, a healthy eating plan should involve the awareness of the calories which you need to be healthy and, if you want to lose weight, the calculation of your caloric intake so that you are burning (using) more calories than you consume.
Getting those calories from healthy foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean protein sources is very important. If you took in the perfect amount of calories every day, but you attained all of them from ice cream, your system would suffer dramatically.
In order to maintain healthy, strong bones, women especially need to make certain they are getting enough calcium in their healthy eating plan. Green leafy vegetables provide folic acid, another biggie for women, and blackstrap molasses, black beans, organ meats all contain iron.
Balancing your healthy eating plan by eating a wide variety of wholesome, unprocessed and fresh foods means that you're getting a well-rounded amount of whole grains, protein, calcium and fruits and vegetables.
Remembering to snack throughout the day on things like fruit, nuts, seeds, vegetables, whole grain crackers, low-fat cheese, and low-fat yogurt can stave off the tendency to eat emotionally or to binge, keeping you within the calorie count you need in order to stay healthy.
Sources:
Healthy Eating Plans for Women. Life Martini
Retrieved from the internet on January 20, 2012
http://www.lifemartini.com/healthy-eating-plans-for-women
Healthy Eating Plans.com. Retrieved from the internet on January 20, 2012
http://healthy-eating-plans.com
Aimee Boyle is a regular contributor to EmpowHER
Reviewed January 23, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jessica Obert
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