Words by Dr. Woody Herring, M.D. | Image by Ryan McGill

Here are a few healthy eating tips for a healthy lifestyle. First, you need to start with an idea of what you are eating. Factors to consider would be what type of food you commonly eat on a regular basis, frequency of those foods in your diet, timing of when you eat those foods, and lastly, who is preparing those foods.

You should first keep track of your intake of both foods and drinks for 1-2 weeks, which allows you to get a nutritional baseline. This can be accomplished by writing it down daily in a journal or using a smart phone app, such as MyFitnessPal, etc. Once you have this information, you can review to see if there are any trends you might notice. Do you intend to skip breakfast or other meals? Do you eat late at night? Do you eat a lot of prepackaged, processed foods? Do you tend to eat more on weekends?

Generally speaking, you want to limit prepackaged foods with excess refined sugars and high fat, low-fiber content. Healthier foods tend to be fresh, whole foods with plenty of fiber, healthy fats, proteins, and nutrients. Limit sugary drinks that are low in nutritional value, such as sweet tea, soft drinks, or energy drinks. You should drink 8-10 eight-ounce glasses of water per day. Try not to eat out more than 1-2 times per week. Portion sizes tend to be excessive, and it is difficult to know the true content of restaurant-prepared meals.

Before grocery shopping, sit down and plan a few meals for the week. This will help you avoid quick, impulse choices when you are busy. When shopping, concentrate on the perimeter isles of the grocery store. Shop in the produce aisle, meat/deli section, and the dairy case.

Frozen vegetables and fruits can be a great source when fresh options are limited. A general meal design would include 3-6 ounces of lean protein, two or more servings of non-starchy vegetables, and 1-2 healthy fats. Vegetables grown above ground tend to be more nutritious and have less starch. Organic protein sources, such as 100% grass-fed or free-range beef or chicken, are better. Healthy fat choices are unsalted nuts and seeds. Extra-virgin olive oil, sesame oil, and even avocado oil provide great healthy fat choices to cook with.

When you are dining, take time to enjoy your meal. Do not rush. Listen to your body. When you feel full and satiated, stop eating. You do not have to eat like it is Thanksgiving every day. Do not eat within two or three hours of going to bed. Try to keep a regular sleep schedule and get 8 to 10 hours of sleep at night. Try to exercise 30 minutes a day, 4-5 days a week.

Maintaining these healthy habits will keep you more energized, healthier, and happier. 78

 Dr. Woody Herring is the owner of Herring Weight Loss + Wellness in Jasper. For more information on Dr. Herring’s programs, please call (205) 717-4922.