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Expert: Eat healthy
Published 12:00pm Thursday, January 8, 2009Practicing and maintaining healthy eating habits was the topic during the lunch hour Wednesday at Lake Region Healthcare.
As attendees gathered with their brown bag lunches, they were asked to take a close look at their food and drink choices, and rate their plate based on 2005 dietary guidelines.
“It’s really all about choices,” said Lake Region Dietician Janice Spies.
Participants received points based on good choices, such as the incorporation of whole grains, vegetables, skim milk and other healthy items.
Spies discussed the importance of attitude when it comes to an individual’s diet — a term she says shouldn’t be associated with restrictions, but instead with options.
The focus one should take should be positive, Spies said, with emphasis not on what is wrong in someone’s diet, but instead on what is right.
From there, a person can build on what they’re already doing. Spies suggested incorporating her five steps to nutrition guide she’s developed over the years, which includes planning, preparation, service, eating and clean-up.
“There are many different little targets we can have at each of these steps,” she said.
Even the last one, she said, is important, considering what drives people to eat out maybe more than they should.
Taking a look at regular eating habits also includes focussing on when and why and where a person eats meals and snacks. To help monitor behavior, Spies suggested keeping a food and beverage intake diary, including documentation of time, items consumed and amount. She also says it’s helpful to identify the place, location, emotion, activity, situation and environment a person partakes in meals and snacks.
On top of looking and feeling a bit better, Spies said making better choices will help eliminate some health concerns, including diabetes and hyperlipidemia.
