Week Four

Continue writing in your daily food diary; eating vegetables, fruits, grains, and healthy fats; drinking water; and limiting added sugar, processed foods, preservatives, and trans fats.

Journal Exercise:
Positive Changes

Answer the following questions, writing about each one for at least 20 minutes. Write on whatever days work best for you, but be sure to answer both questions by the end of the week.

Fresh, sweet peaches are a great snack.

What positive changes have you made and kept in your diet?
How does eating well make you feel, both mentally and physically?

Monday

Diversify your proteins

Most Americans know that fish, meat, and poultry are high in protein, which your body needs to make, maintain, and repair tissue, among other functions. But legumes are another excellent source of protein, and many are also high in soluble fiber and calcium, which helps prevent osteoporosis. Diversify your proteins by eating one to two servings of legumes daily (1/2 to 1 cup is about one serving). Try adding chickpeas or kidney beans to your salad. Instead of white rice or noodles in soup use pinto beans or lentils. Soybean products like edamame, tofu, and tempeh are also high in protein.

When and if you eat meat and poultry, look for certified organic cuts, which is the only way to know that they're free of hormones and antibiotics.

Wednesday

Cut back on salt

Sodium is not bad for you. In fact, your body needs sodium to regulate certain functions. But it doesn't need nearly as much as you probably consume. High sodium intake can increase the risk of high blood pressure and leach calcium from your bones.

You should aim for no more than 2,400 mg of sodium daily (about 1 teaspoon). To help gauge your sodium intake, make sure you read product labels. But the best and easiest way to cut back on sodium is to limit your intake of processed foods - frozen dinners, snack foods, and canned meals - most of which contain an astounding amount of salt. By contrast, most whole foods do not contain a significant amount of salt; even celery, which somehow earned the reputation of being high in sodium, has only about 55 mg of sodium in one large stalk.

This article first appeared in Natural Health Magazine - USA April 2001