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Mar 4

Healthy means more than just eating right – Chicago Sun-Times

Diets that Work Comments Off on Healthy means more than just eating right – Chicago Sun-Times

People who follow a healthy lifestyle do more than just manage their diet and make good food choices. They also tend to get regular exercise, keep alcohol in check, dont smoke and manage their weight.

Positive clusters like these have a beneficial impact on physical and mental health.

But negative actions also can cluster together, which is why people who smoke often tend to drink more heavily, have poor diets and get little exercise.

Being aware of how certain behaviors cluster together and interact can help improve your health and also have significant effects on your diet.

Grace Derocha, a dietitian and national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics based in Detroit, often sees these cluster behaviors.

On the negative side, it could be that you went to bed too late the night before, then couldnt wake up in the morning, so you missed your workout, Derocha says. Then, you dont have time to eat breakfast, and you dont make and pack your lunch.

Or maybe youve had a stressful day, and you have a drink, then one drink turns into two or three, then you go to bed, you are dehydrated, and you dont sleep well. It turns into a cycle.

But creating positive habits and behaviors often starts with one simple change.

When you start exercising even a little, then its easier for you to drink more water, Derocha says. From there, maybe you increase your exercise and begin adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet, then add high-fiber foods and you sleep better, too. You begin treating your body right, so you feel better and you want to do more. It takes time, but thats when the magic happens.

To improve your health and diet, studies show the most influential and motivating factor is physical activity. Regular exercise can help control when and how much you eat, preventing weight gain and reducing obesity, and several studies suggest that activity can affect the type of food you eat, too.

A study published in the International Journal of Obesity evaluated dietary patterns via a questionnaire given to more than 2,000 sedentary college students before and after a 15-week exercise intervention.

The program consisted of aerobic exercise training three days a week. Despite being told not to change their diet, the researchers found that many participants started eating more nutritious foods, like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish and nuts, and fewer fried foods, pop and snack foods. The more they exercised, the healthier their diet became.

Other research also has found that exercise motivates people to eat a better diet.

People who begin to work out and want to see muscle definition or lose weight quickly realize diet does make a difference, Derocha says. Its a matter of nourishing your body and being your best self.

That doesnt happen overnight. It takes time, consistency and patience. It also means understanding whats important to you, what drives you and whats doable for you.

Here are a few other ways to stay on track:

Following a healthy lifestyle is more than changing your diet. Multiple health behaviors play a significant role.

Most people know what they should be doing, Derocha says. Its just a matter of motivating them to want to do it and empowering them to apply the knowledge they already have.

Environmental Nutrition is an independent newsletter written by experts on health and nutrition.

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Healthy means more than just eating right - Chicago Sun-Times

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