How to Eat Healthily

We all know that we need to eat healthy but, despite our best intentions, our food choices are often less than ideal. Perhaps it's because we are bombarded, daily, with conflicting nutritional information and diet fads that have us cutting entire food groups to meet our weight loss goals. Eggs are incredible and edible one day, the next they are lethal cholesterol bombs. One diet has us eating low fat, and high carb, to lose pounds, while another has us filling up on bacon and T-bone steaks. And, in the middle of all this are the USDA and the American Dietetics Association telling us to just follow the pyramid.

Here are some basic nutrition facts that should help you in your quest for a healthy diet:

Carbs are your friend.
Carbs turn into sugar, which is the body's primary and preferred fuel source. You need carbohydrates to feed your metabolism and, most importantly, your brain. Now, this does not mean that you should fill up on cupcakes and white bread, but you do need carbs in your diet. Eat slow-burning carbs like brown rice, whole wheat pasta and whole grain breads. Other good carbohydrate sources are sweet potatoes and yams, wheat berries, quinoa and whole oats. Use refined sugar sparingly and keep sweets consumption to a minimum.

Fiber fills you up.
If you are dieting, foods high in fiber add bulk to your diet and make you feel full faster. Grain-based foods, like bread, will actually expand in the stomach but there are other great sources of fiber. Most vegetables have tons of fiber, as to a lot of fruits. Adding a salad to your afternoon lunch is a great way to get your daily servings of vegetables and a ton of fiber.

Lean protein is best.
Lean meats provide the protein you need, without all the saturated fat. Chicken breast is the default lean meat choice but it's not the only option. There are also lean cuts of pork and beef - such as loin or shoulder cuts. Cold-water fish, like salmon, and nuts tends to have a lot of fats - but it's beneficial fat - and are also protein rich. Egg whites are also protein rich and fat free.

Dairy feeds muscles.
We all know that our bones need calcium but did you also know that the muscles need calcium as well? Calcium plays a role in all muscle contractions - including the heart. When there isn't enough calcium in the blood, the body takes it from the bones. Eating calcium-rich dairy not only keeps the bones strong, it helps the muscles to their job.

Everything in moderation.
A healthy diet includes a variety of foods - even "bad" foods. If you say you'll never eat cupcakes again, all you'll want is a cupcake. Rather than have an all-or-nothing approach, follow the 90/10 rule where 90 percent of what you eat is healthy and 10 percent is "junk".