Let’s face it, we are bombarded with junk food every day and all day from the time we get up in the morning till the time we go to sleep at night. Everyone knows the term junk food junkie.
Well, I just got a really good email from Robert D. Sheeler, Medical Editor of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter on the subject. He offers the following tips on a problem many of us need help with, namely, avoiding junk foods.
“Taste is a powerful force. Eating great food with friends and loved ones is one of the great pleasures of life. But at the same time, you’re not a slave to your taste buds.
I wrote about dealing with the nutritiional value of food over the taste of food last year in How to Use Your Brain for Weight Control.
Dr. Sheeler continues:
“You may be able to take control of your diet when your taste buds seem to be getting you into trouble.
“Even if you don’t like the taste of vegetables and fruits, you may be able to incorporate these healthy foods into your diet by:
• Looking for ripe, in-season strawberries, grapes or dark cherries, as these are often quite sweet.
Much better for us than junk food
• Adding vegetables to favorite foods, such as a soup, casserole or pizza. Slice up fresh fruit and put it in your morning cereal or yogurt.
• Making a fruit smoothie or use a vegetable juicer.
• Choosing milder offerings, such as carrots, bananas and pears, if bitter or sour flavors are what turn you off.
You can help control an inability to resist sugary, fatty junk food by:
• Not keeping unhealthy food that you can’t resist in your home. If you do, keep it in very small amounts.
• Eating healthy foods first, so when it comes time to enjoy a favorite treat, you’re less hungry.
• Determining in advance how much of a treat you’ll eat and sticking with the plan.
“These days, taking care of yourself is a necessity of life — not only to stay healthy but also to avoid rising medical bills if at all possible. We make it our mission to provide practical, easy-to-understand information on topics of interest to millions of health-conscious people like you!”
I think the good doctor makes some fine suggestions here. Don’t you?
Tony
Wellness Secrets of a SuperAger 