Have you ever heard the phrase, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"? While that's not exactly true, the deeper sentiment is: our everyday food choices affect our overall health.
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Disclaimer: We the authors of this blog are Landscape Architecture students at Kansas State University. This blog is a part of a larger class project focused on community engagement, design, and education. Our goal is to share health information that may benefit residents of the Northview Neighborhood in Manhattan, Kansas. We are not experts! Resources for all information presented can be found at the bottom of this page.
“Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are good investments.” –Bethenny Frankel
Changing our diets can seem like a huge burden, but there are many small decisions that can help us reach our health goals.
Here are 19 small decisions that can help your overall health:
1. Be specific when setting goals
For example, say “I’m going to eat one cup of greens every day with my lunch.” Instead of staying “I am going to eat more salad”.
2. Portion control your meals
Try using a smaller plate to help control the amount of food and calories you eat
3. Strengthen your bones
Add in fat-free and low-fat milk, cheese, and yogurt to your diet
4. Drink water
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Keep a water bottle with you at all times
5. Eat whole grains more often
Choose brown rice and whole-grain pasta and bread
6. Cut back on some foods
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Limit fatty meats like bacon, and eat sweets only on occasion
7. Be a better cook
Eat at home more often so you can control what you are eating
8. Slow down while eating
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Studies comparing different eating speeds show that fast eaters are up to 115% more likely to be obese than slow eaters
9. Don’t shop while hungry!
Shopping while hungry can make you buy things impulsively
10. Don’t shop without a list!
Not knowing what you need makes room for impulse buying
11. Eat eggs for breakfast
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They are rich in high-quality protein and eating eggs in the morning increases feelings of fullness
12. Bake or roast instead of frying or grilling
Grilling and frying allows the meat to form potentially toxic compounds that are linked to cancer and heart disease
13. Take vitamin D supplements
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42% of the US population is vitamin D deficient
14. Drink black coffee
Coffee is full of antioxidants, but sugar, heavy cream, and milk cancel out the healthy aspects of coffee, so drink it black!
15. Ask for salad dressing on the side
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This allows for portion control
16. Choose healthy oils
Swap canola oil for extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil or coconut oil
17. Choose popcorn instead of chips
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Popcorn is a whole grain! Make sure it is air-popped or make your own at home
18. Swap soda for sugar-free options or sparkling water
Sugary beverages are full of liquid sugar which is linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes
19. Eat your fruits instead of drinking them
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Many fruit juices are not made from real fruit juice
Make yourself a priority and take time to care for yourself, even if that means making a small change every day until you meet your health goals!
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