A fresh-picked apple, a side of apple sauce, a mug of hot apple cider, a bowl of Applejacks, and a slice of apple pie—each of these foods might appeal to an apple-lover, but some are healthier foods for fueling your body than others.
Eating right can be challenging, especially when you lead a busy life. Confusing labels on food packaging doesn’t make it any easier to find the best foods either.
Thinking of food as “fuel”
No one eats ideal foods at every meal, but when you find yourself making more poor food choices than healthy ones, it’s easy for your weight to creep up. Though resetting can be tricky, don’t lose hope. The body is a remarkable machine. Give it what it needs, and it will repair itself.
Read on for general guidelines on how to adjust your eating habits and make food swaps that will make your body run better.
Nutrition basics
Adopting a healthier eating routine can decrease your risk of stroke, heart disease, and many other conditions most of us would like to avoid. The only trouble is that, for a lot of us, it’s not always clear what eating “healthy” actually means.
If you are looking to improve your health without dieting or the perceived agony that goes along with a restrictive plan, the first step is to learn some nutrition basics so you can make more nutritious (and more mindful) food choices.
Serving sizes and portions
Take guacamole, for example. Did you know a healthy serving size is two tablespoons? If you are eating guacamole with chips, it’s easy to double or triple that serving with just a few bites.
How much you put on your plate might be part of the reason you overeat. That’s because, a lot of times, what is served at restaurants and what’s labeled as a single serving size on food packages might not usually sync up with what your body really needs.
The good news is that you control your portions, or how much food you choose to eat.
Always say yes to fresh produce
Dietitians agree: there’s no such thing as a bad choice when you’re thinking about eating a fresh vegetable. Sure, eating a salad made of shredded raw kale might pack a bigger nutritional punch than munching on a handful carrots, but both are great food choices to support your dietary needs.
Eating to support your workout
According to the American Heart Association, it’s crucial to think about what you eat and drink—and when—before, during, and after exercising because “the right foods and drinking the right fluids, in the right amounts at the right times” have the power to maximize workouts that are one hour or less.
- Two hours before: Hydrate with water and eat an apple or banana. Or, if you prefer, pick any other foods that are easy-to-digest carbohydrates because they can give your body what it needs to keep you from feeling sluggish.
- During: Stay hydrated by taking small sips of water as you get parched.
- After: Refuel with water (for hydration), carbohydrates (to give you energy and help you recover), and proteins (to help grow and repair your muscles).
What you put into your body matters, and you can’t out exercise a bad diet.
If making better food choices continues to be a struggle for you and you want help getting to a healthy weight, you don’t have to go it alone. Logansport Memorial Hospital’s weight-loss specialists at are here to work alongside you to ensure you have what you need to reach (and maintain) your weight-loss goals.
HMR at Logansport Memorial Hospital
Now offered at Logansport Memorial Hospital, the nationally-recognized HMR program has helped over a million people across the U.S. lose weight and keep it off.
Unlike other minimally-customizable approaches and fad programs, the HMR weight-loss plan has been trusted by doctors for over thirty years because it works.
How the HMR weight-loss program works
Patients get to choose if they follow the program online or in-person. In both formats, you’ll get support from an HMR weight-loss coaches. They’re here to listen and motivate you to keep going when your fitness routine gets boring or you get tempted to skip foods that fuel your body and go back to eating those that aren’t as healthy.
If you’re ready to get serious about improving your health, feeling better, and—finally—reaching your goal weight, this leading, fast weight-loss program might be right for you.
Explore different ways to get started
- Read up on how the easy-to-follow HMR program works and see for yourself why its participants are so successful.
- Attend a free informational session. Get information about when the next event is scheduled by calling (574)725-3599.
- Set up an appointment to chat with our health care provider and medical supervisor Stacie Stutzman, NP.
