The following guidelines are from the SDA Dietetic Association.
"Good Eating" Guidelines 1. EAT GOOD SIZED BREAKFAST, MODERATE LUNCH, LIGHT & EARLY SUPPER. Helps with appetite and weight control, as well as reduced temptation to snack. Breakfast improves concentration and reaction time in mid-morning; light suppers encourage higher quality sleep, improved breakfast appetite and lower heart attack and stroke risk.
2. EAT SLOWLY enough (by chewing thoroughly) to give the body time to tell you it's "full".
3. ALWAYS HEED IMMEDIATELY THE INTERNAL "VOICE" when it first provides you the "satisfaction alert." Beware of over-riding this message.
4. EAT MEALS AS CLOSE TO THE SAME TIME EACH DAY as reasonably possible, since the body is better prepared for digestive labor at the times it is accustomed to being fed.
5. AVOID SNACKING to help keep teeth and digestive tract healthy, weight at proper level, and a keen appetite for the next meal. (Breath improvement too!)
6. LIMIT SWEETS to only occasionally, in small amounts and only with a meal. Leave room for dessert - don't MAKE room for it. "Satiety over-ride" is dangerous business. Artificial sweeteners may not help weight control at all since some scientific evidence suggests that it stimulates fat storage just the same as does "real" sugar.
7. EAT WHOLE GRAIN PRODUCTS rather than refined products. BREAD should have the first ingredient "WHOLE" wheat - simply "wheat flour" will not do since it just means "white" flour which came from wheat. CEREAL should also state "WHOLE" to describe the first grain in the ingredient list - look for whole wheat or whole oats or whole corn or whole rye or whole rice. Otherwise, you only get the starchy part of the grain kernel and miss the nutritious bran and germ. Same goes for crackers and chips.
8. EAT FRUIT RATHER THAN DRINK IT to gain greater fullness and maximize nutrients and fiber intake.
9. DRINK 10 GLASSES OF WATER (or more) each day. Moderately hot water stimulates appetite (good before a meal); cold water diminishes appetite (good when needing to resist the urge to eat between meals). Hint: do not wait until evening to catch up on hydration - sleep is important too, if you get the point!
10. EAT THE RECOMMENDED VARIETY AND AMOUNTS of fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes in order to achieve a high carbohydrate (complex-type) diet. [See Food Pyramid] These foods actually increase metabolism.
11. AVOID STIMULANTS since evidence suggests that caffeine increases fat storage and tea (non-herbal) renders much of our ingested iron unabsorbable at the intestinal level. Bless your loved ones and bless yourself by coping with life without using addictive, gateway, beverage drugs.
12. AVOID OR STRICTLY LIMIT TELEVISION viewing, if you want to keep weight and cholesterol at proper levels, and you want to achieve balanced decision making which is independent of undue emotional influence.
13. AVOID ALCOHOL since it is second only to fat when it comes to calorie concentration and it reduces clarity of judgment and our ability to maintain self control and resolve. REMEMBER: fresh grapes and their juice provide the same heart-healthy benefits ascribed to fermented products and without all the disease, accident and relationship risks.
14. LIMIT FAT CONSUMPTION since it has the highest calorie concentration of all food stuffs. Excessive fat intake is implicated in many diseases such as cancer, diabetes, obesity and heart disease.
a. Use fat-reduced milk products, such as non-fat and low-fat milk, and fat reduced sour cream and cheeses (cheese figures into the meat limit for the day - see below).
b. Limit meat, poultry and fish to 3-5 ounces per day; select the lowest fat forms of these protein foods you can get. (Animal protein can be eliminated from diet rather easily with excellent health results and reduced grocery expense.)
c. Avoid fried foods.
d. Limit margarine, oils, dressing.
e. Do not eliminate nuts - these have special benefits for the heart - but limit to about 1 small handful per day.
15. EXERCISE WITHIN DOCTOR'S LIMITS - 5 days (or more) per week is best. Improves quality of rest, circulation and appetite "accuracy" (truer feedback from the brain's "satiety center" regarding hunger); increases metabolism; burns calories; lowers or maintains proper blood levels of : cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose; increases iron (hemoglobin) levels, if low; improves endurance as well as mental and emotional health; strengthens bones and MUCH MORE.
16. PREPARE FOR SPIRITUAL BATTLE with scripture weapons: John 4:34; 1 Corinthians 9:25 and 10:31; Romans 12:1 and 16:18; Jude 24; Job 23:12; Philippians 3:19; 2 Peter 1:3,4; Proverbs 13:25 and 23:2 and 30:8,9; Matthew 4:4 and 5:29, 30 and 6:25; Psalms 107:17-22; 1 Peter 2:11.
[ April 04, 2002: Message edited by: Linda Sutton ]
