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Incorporating healthy eating habits into everyday life does not need to be a burden, but it does take a degree of commitment and planning. It is more than worth the effort. When you eat a healthy diet you significantly decrease your odds of developing debilitating conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Additionally, eating a healthy diet will provide you with more energy in your daily life. The following is a brief list of strategies that anybody can employ to immediately get on the path to healthier eating:

1. Keep Healthy Snacks Readily Available. Keep your refrigerator and cupboards supplied with items such as fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat milk, whole grain cereals and nuts. Make sure to bring some snacks like this with you when you leave for work or school each day. If you have a bag of baby carrots or an apple handy, you will be much less likely to visit the vending machine for a candy bar when the munchies strike mid-afternoon.
2. Pay Attention. From donuts in the break room to candy at the checkout, we are bombarded with opportunities to mindlessly consume high fat, high calorie foods. If you don't pay attention to what you are eating, it is easy to consume many more calories each day than you need. Consider keeping a food journal where you record every single thing you eat.
3. Eat Small Meals throughout the Day. When you put off eating all day long, your blood sugar levels dip and your body goes into starvation mode. This will cause you to crave higher fat, higher calorie foods. A person who waits all day to eat will often end up consuming many more calories than a person who has eaten several well-balanced meals throughout the day.
4. Slow Down and Chew with Purpose. By taking your time and fully chewing your food before swallowing, you give your stomach a chance to register fullness, which means you will be less likely to gobble down more calories than you need to feel satisfied.
5. Drink 12 Ounces of Water before Each Meal. In addition to making sure that your body stays properly hydrated, drinking a large glass of water before each meal will make you feel full more quickly.
6. Chose Whole Grains over Refined Products. Whole grain foods such as oatmeal, brown rice or whole wheat bread and pasta break down much more slowly than refined white flour products. For this reason, they leave you feeling full much longer. By choosing whole grains over refined, you will also ensure that you get enough dietary fiber.
7. Wait At Least 10 Minutes before Snacking. A great deal of eating in our culture is done out of boredom. If you wait at least 10 minutes before you give into a snack craving, often you will realize you aren't actually hungry at all, and by the time the ten minutes have passed, you will already be occupied by more important matters.

Endnotes: Some information in this article was taken from the following webpages:
Mypyramid.org; Myhealthadvisor.com;heartpoint .com

Learn more about this author, Briggs Seekins.
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