A
Simply Delicious Way To Live
Meal plan examples
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Finally, I've found a
balanced and healthy way to eat that makes sense and is easy to follow. I am
even allowed to enjoy some traditional no-nos. Moreover, as I indulge, my
friends have no reason to say, "You're a doctor! How can you eat THAT?" But before I tell you how I
am using the
Healthy Eating Pyramid — Dr. Walter C.
Willett's revised version of the 1992 Food Guide Pyramid established by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture — I must emphasize the
importance of starting with exercise.
Physical activity, which includes any and all body movement, may be even
more important than what you eat. By building muscle and decreasing body
fat, you help your body burn calories more effectively.
I work out first thing in the
morning. Personally, I like the stationary bike. I can get my morning
reading done at the same time, and on weekends I put on a movie. Time goes
by much quicker. Moreover, during the day, I
try to keep moving. Daily exercise offers me a number of perks: clear
thinking and extra energy that help me get through the day. If I can reduce
my chances of heart disease and diabetes along the way, that's a bonus.
Easy Choices Three Times A Day
Using the Healthy Eating Pyramid is
easy. Unlike with many diets, I don't have to figure out the quantity of
carbohydrates vs. fats in each meal. There are no charts to refer to. No
checklists. Instead, the Healthy Eating Pyramid emphasizes making the right
choices when it comes to eating.
Breakfast
For breakfast I typically
have three eggs, but I first remove two of the yolks. I get great protein
from the egg whites and enough taste from the one yolk to keep me happy. I
fry the eggs in olive oil and then put them over a piece or two of
whole-grain toast. When I am in a hurry, I go for a whole-grain cereal, such
as low-fat granola. I have recently started using soymilk with my cereal.
But with my morning coffee, I stick to half-and-half.
Lunch
Lunch is even easier. I grab
a few pieces of fruit on the way out of the house. My midday protein comes
from a sliced chicken or turkey sandwich or from my one of my most recent
craving, nuts: almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans. I have also rediscovered
peanut butter and jelly on fresh soft whole-grain bread.
Dinner
I start dinner with salad and
an oil-based dressing. Salad should be more than simply lettuce; pack in
your favorite veggies. For me, the dressing makes the difference. A homemade
raspberry vinaigrette with some extra olive oil and some feta cheese tossed
in the salad is the usual. For that carbo craving, I prefer brown rice.
Grilled fish or chicken, rather than red meat, provide the protein. Good
news about salmon (high in omega-3 fats), the price is coming down because
of farm breeding; I just bought some for $3.99 per pound. The beverage: a
glass of a chilled white wine or, occasionally, a glass of red.
Eating well does not mean
eating very little or eating foods that taste boring. Even if your life is
busy, preparing good foods does not require a cooking degree or hours in the
kitchen. Check out
these quick and nutritious recipes if
you don't believe me.
Smart Snacks
Like most people, I do not
limit myself to three meals a day. I love to snack. I keep fruit and nuts at
my desk. Being prepared gives me less temptation to visit the vending
machine.
You will probably eat what
you bring vs. something unhealthy that you must buy, because what you bring
is at hand. What would you rather have: a bunch of cherries and the best
fruit of the season or a half-melted candy bar from the machine?
Carrots (and other raw
vegetables) are great as well, although I haven't gotten into the habit of
pulling them out of the refrigerator in the morning. But, fortunately, most
grocery stores now offer prepeeled, prewashed and individually packed bags
of vegetables. So there's no excuse (even for me)!
Indulging
Using the Healthy Eating
Pyramid doesn't mean that you have to give up on your favorite indulgences.
Rather, you should eat less of what you know is bad for you.
There are plenty of old no-nos
that I still love. I just make eating my favorites a special event. Once a
week, I stop at Pat's Place (the local greasy spoon) for my grilled ham, egg
and cheese on a bagel. And don't forget the coffee ice cream — I now try to
buy it only a pint at a time.
So now when one of my
colleagues asks me midway through my grilled bagel sandwich, "How can you
eat THAT?" I can rest easy. Giving in is never about giving up when you are
secure in the choices you make.
by Howard LeWine, M.D.\Harvard Medical School Howard LeWine,
M.D., is chief editor of Internet Publishing, Harvard Health Publications.
He is a clinical instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and
Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. LeWine has been a primary care internist
and teacher of internal medicine since 1978.
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