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How Much Should we Eat?

It’s no question that many of us lead very busy lives. We simply don’t have the time or the energy to prepare a truly healthy meal or carefully watch what we are consuming. It’s also no question that the United States and much of the world is suffering from an obesity crisis. Put simply – we eat too much. More than that, we eat too much of the wrong stuff.
Don’t blame yourself too much though. Our lack of time combined with the easy availability of fast food chains means that it has never been easier to overeat – whether we intend to or not. After a busy day at school or work, it’s a lot to ask to go home and prepare a nice meal. It’s a lot quicker simply to go to McDonald’s and eat a Big Mac.
Excuses aside, we really owe it to ourselves to eat better. Do you know how much you ought to be eating? According to the most recent USDA guidelines you should …

• Consume 2,400 calories if you are a sedentary male between the ages of  21-25. This gets bumped up to 3,000 calories if you consider yourself active.
• Consume 2,000 calories if you are a sedentary female. Active females are recommended to consume 2,400 calories.

The full chart can be found at http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/USDAFoodPatterns/EstimatedCalorieNeedsPerDayTable.pdf
How much are you recommended to take in? Do you, like most Americans, take in more than you’re supposed to? 

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Think of water and exercise as food groups in your diet.

Water. Water helps flush our systems of waste products and toxins, yet many people go through life dehydrated—c ausing tiredness, low energy, and headaches. It’s common to mistake thirst for hunger, so staying well hydrated will also help you make healthier food choices.

Exercise. Find something active that you like to do and add it to your day, just like you would add healthy greens, blueberries, or salmon. The benefits of lifelong exercise are abundant and regular exercise may even motivate you to make healthy food choices a habit.

This focuses on not following a "fad" diet like the paleo or raw food diet. I think this is a point we should incorporate.

Additional Foods To Avoid

• Battered and deep fried foods
• Sugary sodas
• Processed lunch meats
• Greasy snack chips
• Most canned spaghetti and ravioli
• Sugary breakfast cereals
• Frozen fried chicken, fish sticks and corn dogs

Healthier Options

• Green and brightly colored vegetables
• Dark leafy greens and lettuce
• Fresh fruits and berries
• Lean turkey and chicken
• Nuts, dried fruits and healthy snacks
• Whole grain breads and pasta
• Healthy cooking oils like canola and olive oils
• Grass fed beef and bison
• Cold water oily ocean fish
• Low fat milk or soy beverages
• Nuts, seeds, and legumes
• High-fiber breakfast cereals

 

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