I am a firm believer that we all need at least one vice. Mine happens to be cappuccinos, frappuccinos, chocolate chip cookies, vanilla cake, apple pie, blueberry muffins, French fries, donuts, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, M&Ms and brownie fudge sundaes (if you group them all together under the heading “junk food” I really only have one vice). So for me to suggest that it’s essential to cut all junk food out of one’s diet would be ridiculous (and cruel!). I’d probably be doing myself and the rest of humanity a huge disservice; for the sake of our sanity, we all need a few guilty pleasures.
But we don’t need to have waffles with syrup for breakfast, chicken nuggets, fries and a chocolate shake for lunch and a 32-oz steak with mashed potatoes and gravy for dinner. Don’t forget the desserts in between. What we need is to tip the scales in the opposite direction. About 85 to 95 percent of your diet should be healthy (all those veggies and whole grains you’ve added to each meal matter). And your goal should be to increase the percentage of good foods you eat so as to limit bad foods (imagine a pie chart—a “blueberry pie” chart, if you prefer). The higher percentage of good food, the less opportunity for junk.
I’m probably never going to give up any of those guilty pleasures on my vice list, but I don’t have to as long as I’m eating well throughout the day and I’m limiting the junk to three times or less per week.
To recap the month: When you layer all these tips for healthy eating, discussed in the past four blogs, you have a recipe for weight loss, heart health, better digestion, longer life and better living. But don’t take my word for it. Put these suggestions to the test and see for yourself how subtle changes can make a substantial difference.
Coming Up Next Week: Four Weeks to a Healthy Body: Week One— Create a Fitness Plan and Stick to It.
Tags: diet and health, eating healthy, foods, Four Weeks to Eating Healthy, healthy eating, junk foods, these foods you don't need
