Seven-Step Plan for Healthy Living-#1

Nowadays, our busy schedules make it hard to find time to take care of ourselves by eating healthfully and exercising. We consulted nutrition, health and fitness experts to come up with seven simple steps to take for better health. Our tips keep hectic lifestyles in mind and promote the two basics of a healthy diet: balance and variety. You can find more information like this in the book, Great Adventures in Food (St. Martin's Press, 2000), by FoodFit founder and CEO Ellen Haas.

Step 1: Breakfast is a habit to cultivate.

Research shows that breakfast-eaters consume fewer calories at lunch and dinner and are less likely to snack compulsively the rest of the day. What you have for breakfast matters. A study found that people who kicked off the day with eggs or pastries ate more saturated fat throughout the day than people who had cereal and fruit for breakfast.

• A breakfast that's high in fiber and carbohydrates but low in fat gets your metabolism moving faster. Breakfast skippers burn fewer calories.
  
  
• Good grab-and-go breakfasts are a banana or a bag of dry cereal such as oat squares (oats lower "bad" LDL cholesterol levels).
  
  
• Mix berries into plain yogurt for a calcium and antioxidant boost.
  
  
• If you're opting for an energy bar, check the label carefully and pick the one with the least calories and saturated fat.

This is from an ariticle from http://health.discovery.com/centers/diet-fitness/foodfit/seven-step-plan-for-healthy-living.html