A Bite-Sized Guide to Eating Better

The road to better health often requires a willingness to change your mindset and habits for the long term. We asked experts at Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center for their tips on overcoming common barriers to healthier eating.

Here’s what Amy Hernandez, a nurse practitioner and the hospital’s Heart Failure Clinic coordinator, and Mary Lynn Price, licensed master social worker and Shady Grove behavioral health therapist, recommend:

• Make healthier food more accessible in your pantry and your refrigerator. Pre-packaged snack food is easy but not always the healthiest. Keeping healthier foods in easy reach will go a long way to helping you enjoy food guilt-free.
• Managing a chronic illness or condition can be overwhelming. You don’t have to do it all at once. Consider working with a dietitian or other expert who can help you prioritize and understand how eating well contributes to a healthier lifestyle. They can help motivate and encourage you to make stronger decisions.
• Personalize food labels. Reading and interpreting food packaging can be confusing. Zero in on your most important nutritional needs on the label to make it easier. For example, if you are on a reduced sodium diet, first check labels for a 5% Daily Value of sodium per serving. That’s the amount the Food and Drug Administration, which sets labeling guidelines, considers low. Knowing these numbers can make scanning labels and sticking to your plan easier.
• Determine what factors are contributing to your unhealthy eating. Identifying patterns such as stress, family history and other lifestyle factors can help you find healthier ways to cope and better substitutes to eat. Keeping a food journal or talking with others can support you through the transition from using food as a comfort tool.
• Produce and healthier options are often more expensive. If you’re on a budget, look for canned or packaged items that are lower in sugar and salt, and add fresh ingredients to them when you can.
• Get support from family and friends. It’s easier to eat healthy when others are joining you and keeping temptations away. Being mindful about what you are eating can help you develop strong, long-lasting benefits for your health.

Get started on a healthier pantry on the next page with Patricia Hertz, registered dietitian with the Center for Fitness & Health at Shady Grove Medical Center. The swaps she suggests will help you focus on finding healthy options during your next grocery store trip.

Tackling Healthy Grocery Shopping

You’ve made your list and you’re at the grocery store, but you’re overwhelmed by all the choices and what healthy options to pick. It’s a feeling many people experience. Patricia Hertz, registered dietitian with the Center for Fitness & Health at Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, explains how you can shop for healthier alternatives of your favorite foods.

“Knowing what to look for in the store can make shopping and implementing healthy choices easier,” explained Patricia. “Packaging can be confusing, and quick, pre-prepared meals often look appealing because they’re ready to serve. However, eating healthy doesn’t have to be a chore.”

Patricia recommended these tips when grocery shopping:

Shop the store perimeter first.

Shop for your fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and dairy items first. After, move toward the center aisles. This helps you avoid filling your cart with crackers, chips and prepared foods and focus on the fresh, healthy options.

Choose whole-grain food options.

Whole-grain breads, oatmeal, brown rice and whole-wheat pasta are full of nutrients and fiber that may assist in lowering your risk of heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and cancer, and can even support healthy digestion.

Avoid foods with added sugars.

Added sugars can contribute to weight gain, acne and Type 2 diabetes. They can be found in foods like pasta sauces and breads. Some foods like fruits have natural sugars, but the added sugar from packaged foods increases the amount we consume, which is often a large portion of our calorie intake.

Select foods with low sodium.

Sodium is important to our bodies for normal function, but too much sodium can cause health conditions such as high blood pressure. Most processed foods contain higher levels of sodium for preservation.

Reading nutrition labels can help you understand the amount of fiber, added sugar and sodium in a food. Making healthier food choices can positively affect your overall health by reducing your risk for various medical conditions like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Slowly incorporating these foods into your diet will help you create lifestyle habits that will benefit you for years to come.