| Millions of people all over the world | | | | and cookies as well as the soft drinks. |
| suddenly wake up one morning and find that | | | | |
| their weight and waistline have ballooned | | | | 2. A healthy diet should consist of all the |
| into stratospheric proportions. They panic | | | | food groups. But if possible concentrate more |
| and then decide on the spot that should go on | | | | on vegetables, fruits and whole grains. These |
| a diet. | | | | items are usually high in fiber, and there |
| | | | are experts who say fiber intake should be |
| So they pick up a diet book or join some diet | | | | the basis of a sensible diet. The reasoning |
| program. Eventually they find that the | | | | may actually be simplistic but it does make a |
| program is beginning to become too | | | | whole lot of sense when you think about |
| restrictive and redundant. The dieter is | | | | it--fiber cleans the system inside. And when |
| getting bored. One day, they cannot stand it | | | | your insides are clean, it becomes easier to |
| anymore and abandon the program. They welcome | | | | absorb the healthful nutrients and eliminate |
| back all the foods they were told to avoid | | | | the bad elements. |
| like long-lost relatives. Then it is back to | | | | |
| square one. Sound familiar? | | | | 3. Use your imagination and creativity when |
| | | | cooking. There is no evidence to suggest that |
| No one will argue that diet programs are | | | | people become overweight because of spices. |
| restrictive. The problem is, no one also told | | | | It is the food that the spices are used on |
| you that there are ways around it. In fact | | | | that causes the weight gain. So since you |
| you do not even have to spend unnecessarily | | | | will be cooking healthy food from now on, use |
| on books or programs to lose the pounds. All | | | | spices generously! Some of the really healthy |
| you have to do is educate yourself on healthy | | | | ones are garlic, turmeric, oregano, rosemary |
| eating and adopt it as part of your | | | | and curry. But be sure that you use fresh |
| lifestyle. | | | | spices and not the processed ones. Go easy on |
| | | | the salt, and consider using olive oil, |
| It requires a totally different outlook on | | | | vinegar and low sodium soy sauce. |
| food and eating. It may be a difficult | | | | |
| adjustment at the start, just like when you | | | | 4. This item was left for last because it is |
| start out on a diet program. But it is not as | | | | sure to draw some moans and groans--exercise. |
| restrictive and it certainly does not matter | | | | Without it, all your efforts at dieting will |
| whether you are young, in your midlife stage | | | | feel just like aimless wandering. Understand |
| or in your senior years. In other words, it | | | | though that exercising need not be strenuous. |
| is neither too early nor too late to start. | | | | In fact many professionals these days endorse |
| To help you along, here are four easy and | | | | walking as a very healthy form of low-impact |
| sensible ways to get around the diet | | | | exercise. But be adventurous. Open your eyes |
| doldrums: | | | | to other forms of exercising that will be |
| | | | beneficial to you. There certainly is no lack |
| | | | of information on those on the web. |
| | | | |
| 1. A healthy diet should be low in saturated | | | | Dieting and exercising are the key to |
| fats, trans fat and cholesterol. Your daily | | | | maintaining the right weight, there are no |
| intake of fats should come mainly from fish, | | | | two ways about it. But with a touch of |
| especially the deep sea variety, and | | | | imagination, you can make the entire process |
| vegetable oils. This also means that you | | | | enjoyable and not be bored to death with it. |
| should cut out the processed foods like chips | | | | It is just a matter of will. |