Occasionally, you crave that dark chocolate bar, perhaps a small french fry from McDonald's or even that slice of pizza from your favorite brick oven restaurant! And they just hit the spot especially when you don't eat them on a regular basis, it's a nice treat to have that little taste leaving you satisfied for a while. Just recently the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics came out with a new position to a 'Total Diet Approach to Healthy Eating.'
The paper emphasizes that an overall total diet should be emphasized over the idea of just focusing on one nutrient or one particular food.
Too much of anything can be potentially bad for you. Buying a medium french fry 5 days out of the week can be too much but having it once a month and balancing it out with eating a diet that includes all the food groups isn't "bad" for you. We have this tendency to label foods as "bad" or "good" which can contribute to unhealthy eating behaviors.
The main point of this article is moderation, portion control and exercise as the key points to staying within ones energy needs.
To give you a little insight of what I consider "moderation" and "balanced" lifestyle, let me give you a little insight into the life of Christa :)
7am: Good morning everyone! Drink 2, 8 oz glasses of cool water, read my bible and gradually wake up
7:45: Prepping breakfast
8:15: Breakfast menu:
-2 slices of fresh whole grain bread, toasted with 1/2 Tbsp Nutella and 1/2 Tbsp of Strawberry Jam
-Vegetable Omelet cooked in 1/2 tsp of Smart Balance, 1/2C peppers/onions, 1 egg and 2 egg
white, 1/2 slice low-fat Cheese
- 3 Strawberries, Slice
- 1 C coffee with 3 Tbsp of Almond Milk
9am: Time to study (or if it's summer time, doing some house work outside enjoying the sun :)
11am: Break time, taking my doggie Samson for a walk
12pm: Lunch menu:
1 apple
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole grain thin bread and 2 bite size Dove Dark Chocolates
1pm: Household chores & prepping the meal for dinner
2pm: Work-out time either cardio/strength training/running
See, I enjoy chocolate & even Nutella but this maybe once or twice out of the week that I do this and I make sure that I'm reaching all the food groups and balancing what I need to meet my total daily calorie needs as well as leaving time for exercise :)
For more information on the Academy's position on a "Total Diet Approach to Healthy Eating," below is the link:
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