What Healthy Eating Looks Like and Why We Struggle.

Let's Eat Healthy!

Many individuals do not know what a healthy meal looks like with the correct portion size and types of foods we should be eating.

ChooseMyPlate.gov Makes it easy to guide individuals, health professionals, educators and most importantly the food industry in assisting consumers in building a healthier diet with tools for nutrition education and information. To visually see and have a reference for what types of foods we should be eating with the correct portion sizes is helpful in our quest for a healthier nation. 

• Increase vegetable and fruit intake. 
• Eat a variety of vegetables, especially dark-green 
and red and orange vegetables and beans and peas. 
• Consume at least half of all grains as whole 
grains. Increase whole-grain intake by replacing 
refined grains with whole grains. 
• Increase intake of fat-free or low-fat milk and 
milk products, such as milk, yogurt, cheese, or 
fortified soy beverages.6 
• Choose a variety of protein foods, which include 
seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans and 
peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds. 
• Increase the amount and variety of seafood 
consumed by choosing seafood in place of some 
meat and poultry. 
• Replace protein foods that are higher in solid 
fats with choices that are lower in solid fats and 

calories and/or are source

Why Is Eating Healthy Such a Challenge for Us!

Addiction to food is a reality that even without the research- makes sense. Why do so many over-eat yet are well aware of the negative health consequences? Experiments in animals and humans show the same reward and pleasure centers of the brain that that are stimulated by addictive drugs are also triggered by food.

The feel-good chemicals like dopamine compel many to quickly feel the need to eat again or continue eating once they are full.

The results and risk factors created from over-eating and weight gain may be recognized by the individual, but still have trouble refraining from the behaviors. 

Researchers at Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Science & Policy have developed a questionnaire to identify people with food addictions.

References

ChooseMyPlate.gov. (2014). Weight Management and Calories. Retrieved from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/weight-management-calories/calories.html

Health.gov. (2014). Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Retrieved from http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf

Yale Rudd Center. (2014). Food & Addiction. Retrieved from http://www.yaleruddcenter.org/what_we_do.aspx?id=262