WELLNESS CONNECTION · Nutrition

Small Steps, Big Change

By Paulette Lambert, R.D., CDE, Director of Nutrition

October 07, 2010 - 2:23PM

There are many factors involved in the development of diseases: environment, genetics and even luck. The reality is that you have more control over your health than you might think. Scientific studies support that a healthy lifestyle, one that is smoke-free and includes exercise and healthy eating to maintain ideal weight, improves longevity. Change can be made to create a healthier lifestyle through the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen, or taking small steps toward big changes. Whether it�s disease prevention or disease treatment, changing what you eat has a powerful effect on your health, including your cancer risk. With the tremendous amount of information available about what to eat and what not to eat, it can be confusing. Here are the top healthy eating priority changes for cancer prevention and overall good health:

� Eat 7-10 servings of fruit and vegetables per day: Fruit and vegetables are high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other compounds that work together to protect your body from many cancers. They are also low in calories, so when you eat the recommended quantity, you may eat less calories overall. In addition to fighting cancer, you might lose weight!
� Eat more whole grains: Whole grains contain higher amounts of fiber, which act as a broom in the gastrointestinal tract, sweeping away environmental containments that are in our food and water. Also, fiber slows down digestion and produces less of an insulin response, thereby decreasing overall inflammation in the body. Fiber also makes you feel satiated longer, helping you eat less.
� Reduce intake of red meat and processed meats: Eat less than 12 oz. per week of beef, pork and lamb. Eliminate processed meats such as hot dogs, luncheon meats and bacon as much as possible. The sodium and additives in these meats are undesirable in a healthy diet and the saturated fat content is usually higher and contributes to heart disease.
� Limit alcohol: To decrease cancer risk and help maintain a healthy weight, women should have no more than one drink per day, men two. A drink is equal to 5 oz. of wine, 1.5 oz. of hard liquor or 12 oz. of beer.
� Consume more vegetable sources of protein: Consume more beans, lentils, soy and nuts for vegetarian sources of protein that have less contamination and more fiber than animal sources. Vegetarian protein foods are either free of saturated fat or very low in saturated fat, so they�re heart healthy as well. Try to eat 3 to 7 meals per week that contain vegetarian food choices.
� Eat less refined sugar: The more refined sugar we have in our diet, the more of an insulin response our bodies have. Higher insulin levels are associated with disease-promoting inflammation in the body. Limit refined sugar to less than 25 grams per day.

Now that you are aware of priorities for a healthy diet, the challenge is to make changes to your eating habits that will last. If it seems overwhelming, remember that every change in life begins with a single step. Taking one small step toward a healthier lifestyle today can help you reap big rewards tomorrow. Why advocate small steps instead of a major overhaul? Because drastic change leads to failure 75 percent of the time. Kaizen, a concept built on the premise of small steps, shows that small changes are doable, not daunting. In fact, small steps are proven to help people achieve success with sustainable change.

Kaizen works because it breaks down the brain�s resistance to change and decreases the fear that change is associated with the perception of deprivation or discomfort. Kaizen�s small steps do not register any significant change that we view as a threat, so when small steps are taken, our fear is bypassed. The brain becomes engaged in logical and creative thinking, which leads to the achievement of our goals. After practicing a small step for 30 days, the behavior becomes a habit. Sticking to the small steps concept will give you more confidence and allow you to move onto bigger goals toward healthier eating, which will further improve your health. For example, eating one extra piece of fruit per day will account for 365 pieces in one year. That�s a lot more fiber and antioxidants than before!

Work out a strategy for eating healthier and take control of your health. Start with just two small steps at a time to improve your eating. After 30 days of practice, move on to two more. If you find that you are not successful with those two steps, choose smaller steps. Sometimes it you may need to ask yourself questions to find a different route to be successful. The small steps may seem trivial at first, but you will get there by seeking out ways to continually improve your eating. When you veer off track and swap your lunch salad for a burger, remember the old Japanese proverb - �Fall down seven times, get up eight.�

To Get Started:
� Add 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed to yogurt, cereal or rice per day.
� Ask for double tomatoes when ordering a sandwich out.
� When dining out and eating bread before your meal, ask for double vegetables and hold the potatoes.
� Add canned beans instead of animal protein to a salad for lunch one to two days a week.
� Choose a vegetarian pasta meal once per week instead of one high in meat and cheese.
� Only take two bites of dessert, instead of eating a whole serving.
� Limit alcohol intake to the weekend only.

This article originally appeared in Women magazine. http://www.awomanshealth.com

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