Barriers to Healthy Diets -- Removing them is not as hard as you think

Barriers to healthy diets are placed into four broadadjustments as needed. No pills, supplements,
categories: External Barriersacupuncture, magnets, or magic minerals are needed.
Just a calculator.
Psychological BarriersRemoving External Barriers to Healthy Diets
Two difficult external barriers are peer pressure and
Physical Barrierstime. Our friends and family influence our lives more
than we like to admit. They affect our decisions,
Dieting Barrierschoices, moods, behavior, and weight.
This article examines only the most difficult barriers inDuring medical school, I worked in a weight loss clinic
each category. Let's remove the barriers to healthyto make some money. I will never forget the level of
diets...but first, "What is a Healthy Diet?"influence a spouse or friend could have on a patient.
What is a Healthy Diet?Several times, I saw first hand someone, other than
A healthy diet provides the recommended dailythe patient, make the dieting decisions.
allowance for vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates,At this level of influence, our peer groups can make a
and fat. Any diet that fails to meet the minimum dailybig impact on eating a healthy diet. Just keep this
allowance for any nutrient is unhealthy. Of course,influence thing in mind. OR, should I say, "Keep it in mind
providing the daily allowance for all nutrients is next toonly if you have TIME."
impossible given the poor nutritional value of today'sTime is another rarely acknowledged external barrier
diets.to healthy diets. We live in world that seems to lose
We eat on average 1.5 meals a day (not even closetime. The normal 24 hour day feels more like 15 hours.
to the suggested 5-6 meals). The one meal weAll we do is rush from one event or appointment to
manage to eat is usually late in the evening, high inthe next. Eating a healthy diet is next to impossible.
calories, high in fat, and is missing Group I Foods (freshPlease, slow down. Who knows, by slowing down we
vegetables and fruit).might actually pay attention to the important things in
The majority of young men between the ages ofour lives. I find that the more I rush the less I get done.
20-25 eat only 2 servings of fruit and 1 serving ofAnd what I do finish, really isn't all that important.
fresh vegetables throughout the week! The nextBe serious about eating a healthy diet and slow down.
generation is nutritionally starved.Removing Dieting Barriers to Healthy Diets
A healthy diet is quite simple and easy to follow. HereAbout two to three decades ago, while watching
are the steps to eating a healthy diet: Eat 5-6 meals arepeats on TV, Americans changed their diets and
day.started eating lots of fat and processed foods. We
Every meal should have a serving of lean protein,have suffered ever since.
complex carbohydrate, and unlimited amounts ofEating lots of fat created a macronutrient imbalance
Group I Foods.and has clogged our arteries. Then we fell in love with
Eat approximately 40-50% protein, 30-40% complexprocessed foods. This love affair drained all of the
carbohydrates, and 30% fat everyday. Limit sugars,vitamins and minerals from our bodies and resulted in a
saturated fats, and trans-fatty-acids.micronutrient deficiency.
Maintain a slightly negative energy balance orUntil we restore things to the pre-TV Dinner diet, we
perfectly balance it. How do you accomplish this?will continue to suffer heart attacks and weight gain.
Read the next few steps!It's really crazy...we stuff ourselves with heavy fat and
Calculate your energy output everyday. Energythen starve for vitamins and minerals.
output is the Resting Metabolic Rate plus the numberRemoving Physical Barriers to Healthy Diets
of calories burned through physical activity.Physically, our lack of exercise is the greatest barrier
Subtract your energy output from your energy input --to healthy diets. Start exercising! Walk. Jog. Swim. Lift
the number of calories you eat a day. The result is theweights. Sweat. Move. Breath. Live.
remaining total energy and it determines your energyRemoving Psychological Barriers to Healthy Diets
balance.The mind can be tough to control, especially when it
If the result is a positive number, you have a Positivecomes to hunger. But what can help is changing your
Energy Balance. Simply, cut back on the amount youfood perspective. Where do you place food in your
eat.life? To help you through this important change in
If the result is negative, you have a Negative Energyperspective, check out...Weight Loss Psychology
Balance. Increase the amount you eat.Conclusion
Make adjustments to energy input (the number ofWatch the influences in your life, slow down, reduce
calories you eat a day) so that you'll remain with afat, eat raw vegetables and fruit, exercise, and change
slightly negative energy balance.your food perspective.
Some weight loss experts advocate a strongOnce you've done all that, then you can focus on
negative energy balance at baseline. In theory, thiseating a healthy diet. I think we need to get back the
makes sense but in practice it's associated with weight24 hour day, what do you think?
regain.To Healthy Living!
I believe that energy should be balanced or slightlyMichael A. Smith, MD
negative at baseline. The closer to a balanced energyChief Medical Consultant
state, the better the chance for avoiding weight regainDiet Basics WebsiteDr. Smith is the Chief Medical
and maintaining your ideal weight for a longer period ofConsultant for the Diet Basics Website, a content rich
time.weight loss website dedicated to all dieters. Visit his
Do not cut back, slow down, or stop exercising. Ifsite and check out his Diet Basics News Blog and
adjustments need to be made, it's better to makeRSS Feed. Hundreds of E-Zines and Websites have
dietary changes than to make changes to youralready tapped into this incredible free source of
exercise plan.A healthy diet is simple to follow. Eatweight loss information. Don't miss out!
fewer calories, exercise, and make dietary