Here are 11 basic rules of eating smart. These apply for general health, for losing weight, and for relief from allergy and asthma.
- Cook only with olive oil and the best is virgin coconut oil.
- Eat one meal every day composed primarily of vegetables, with a small side of lean protein. This could be canned chicken mixed into dark salad greens, ratatouille over whole-wheat pasta with grated Parmesan cheese, or vegetable lasagna.
- Consume beans or legumes at least three times a week.
- Have fish at least three times a week. Researchers have found that children who eat fish more than once a week have one-third the risk of developing asthma compared with children who eat no fish. And that's not just any fish, but oily fish rich in omega-3's. Other studies find that adults with asthma who regularly eat oily fish have better lung function, less wheezing and breathlessness, and fewer episodes of waking up with a tight chest. Canned tuna counts, as does a spaghetti sauce that uses plenty of omega-3-rich anchovies. If shellfish is not a problem for your allergies, make shrimp a weekly dinner staple.
- Avoid any food that lists sugar among the first four ingredients on the label. You can get sugar-free varieties of foods like ketchup, mayonnaise, and salad dressing in the diabetic section of grocery stores.
- Choose foods that are as close to their natural state as possible: fresh vegetables and fruits; fresh meats, fish, chicken, and eggs; raw nuts and seeds; and fresh salad greens. You can assume that the more prepackaging and preparing occurs at a factory or processing center, the more that healthy ingredients have been removed and unhealthy ingredients added.
- Choose whole-grain breads and pasta. Make sure the first ingredient is whole-grain or whole-wheat flour. You'll know it's really whole-grain bread if it has at least 3 or 4 grams of fiber per slice. Don't be fooled by color either: some companies use molasses or colorings to make their breads look whole wheat even if they aren't.
- Snack on raw nuts, fresh vegetables and fruit, hard and soft cheeses, and other unprocessed foods.
- Cut your salt intake by using "lite" salt and using herbs and other spices in place of salt.
- At least three times a week, eat a cup of live-culture yogurt for its beneficial acidophilus bacteria. If you don't like yogurt, try acidophilus supplements or probiotic, available in many health-food stores.
- At breakfast, drink natural fruit juices, low-fat milk, tea, or coffee. But throughout the day, make water your primary drink.
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