Healthy eating habits in the New Year:
Many of us make new year’s resolutions to start eating healthier. There are some really great reasons to do that. Good nutrition can make the years you live stronger and healthier. Some of the direct benefits of eating a healthy array of foods include higher energy levels, resistance to illness, sharper mental functioning, and improved management of chronic conditions. Here are some simple changes you can make to your diet that will result in a healthier year. 
- Reduce your sodium intake. Season foods with herbs, spices and garlic instead of salt. When you’re shopping, look for foods labeled “low sodium” or reduced sodium”.
- Reduce refined sugar in your foods. Check food labels for ingredients such as corn syrup, can juice sucrose, maltrose and dextrose.
- Don’t skip meals.
- Eat more foods that are rich in fiber, including whole wheat, unrefined cereals, whole grain breads, fruits, vegetables and beans.
- Eat more complex carbohydrates. This will help keep your blood sugar levels more stable. Complex carbs are found in fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains.
- Make your meals more colorful, and make foods that are interesting and pleasing to look at. When you eat a variety of colors, you get a good variety of nutrients from your food.
Don’t try to change all your eating habits at once. Try making just one change per meal until the changes become a new way of eating. At Lincolnshire Healthcare Center we are committed to making this year a healthy and happy one for all our patients.
