Tips for Healthy Eating

1. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Eat breakfast within an hour of waking up to rev-up your metabolism.

2. Eat small meals throughout the day. In order to prevent your metabolism from slowing down or going into "starvation mode" you'll want to eat every three hours throughout the day.

3. Cut out the midnight snacking. Eat your last meal no later than 7:00 pm, or three hours before bedtime. This prevents the body from storing extra fat while you sleep.

4. Don't eat too few calories. This will put your body in "starvation mode" and slow down your metabolism.
Caloric intake should be at least 1200 calories for women and 1400 calories for men. Do not go below those numbers.

5. Eat three small meals and two snacks daily. Each of your meals should consist of a serving of lean protein, 1-2 servings of high fiber grains/starch, 2 servings of vegetables and/or 1 serving of fruit, and one serving of healthy fat. Snacks should be low in fat, low in sugar, and low in calories (no more than 100).

6. Cut out the fat from your foods, or at least cut it down. You should be eating a low fat diet, with 20-30% of your total calories coming from fat; and no more than 40-50 grams a day should be from fat.

7. Eat a diet high in fiber, at least 25 grams a day. High fiber foods are more filling and clean out the digestive tract. Choose "brown" carbs over "white" carbs.

8. Avoid trans fat and refined sugars and limit alcohol and caffeine to no more than 2/day. These are empty calorie drinks. And, they sure have a lot of calories to them!

9. Have a diet high in fruit and vegetables. Eat at least a total of 5 per day. You do have to watch out for the sugars in fruits, but you can have an endless amount of vegetables.

10. Drink at least 6-8 cups of water daily. It will help to curb hunger and cravings, helps digestion, flushes out impurities, and keeps you hydrated.

11. Eat at your table or a designated eating area when possible. Avoid eating in the car, while watching television, when studying, or while talking on the phone. In all of these places you are not focused on what you're eating, which can lead to overeating.

12. Eat only when you are hungry or at 3-4 hour intervals.

13. When the urge to binge arises, take 10 minutes to write down your feelings. Or try exercising before picking up the utensils. If you can identify your emotional triggers (boredom, stress, sadness) and set up a plan of action to overcome those you will conquer the urge to binge.

14. Eat slowly and chew your bites, at least 20 times. This helps with food digestion and will allow your stomach to identify and communicate fullness.

15. Put your fork down after each bite. This is a sure way of getting you to eat slowly.

16. Eat your vegetables first and then the rest of the meal.

17. Eat until you're satisfied and not full. Excess food that you eat will just be stored as fat.

18. Avoid eating from large bags and containers. Just place one serving in a bowl and enjoy it. This will ensure you do not keep reaching in the bag for more food.