How To Eat Right
After a long time of dieting, restricting your food intake, counting calories, trying to eat as little as possible, and banishing many kinds of food altogether, when you decide you want to get better and start eating normally again, you often don't know what normal eating is anymore. After applying 'less is good but nothing is even better' to all nutrition, you may have lost all sense of what 'normal' means, of what your body generally needs each day.
The best thing you can do, of course, is listen to your body; eat when it tells you to. However, you are probably not used to reacting to the 'I'm hungry' message your body sends out anymore, and the signals might not be functioning properly. That's why, in the beginning, you should practice mechanical eating. This means eating at set times, whether you're hungry or not. Eat slowly and deliberately. Be aware of what you are doing, taste every single bite, try to enjoy it. Think of food as a medicine. You may not want to take it, but it is necessary for you to eat it, in order to recover. You can also think of food as fuel. Your body needs that fuel in order to function properly. In the beginning, don't have too much at once, your body isn't used to that, small meals are easier to eat and will make you feel less full. Make sure you eat or drink something about every three hours, even if it's just a cup of tea or coffee. Keep that metabolism active!
It can be helpful to have a general idea of what you should be eating, to give you a sense of how much 'normal' and 'enough' really is. However, this is not a rigid prescription, but a general guide that lets you choose a healthy diet that's right for you. Don't let this tempt you into counting calories (again) or measuring and weighing everything you eat, that will only distract you from your goal, which is eating normally. Try to eat things you like, because you enjoy eating them, instead of because they happen to be low in calories.
You can use the information on this page to evaluate your diet, to see if what you're eating is all right or not, or to devise a general eating pattern for yourself, to get you started on the road of recovery.
In the beginning, it will be very hard for you to eat well. You might feel very full, or guilty, or fat. You probably won't even enjoy what you are eating. But I promise you, eventually, you will enjoy eating again. In time, the 'I'm hungry' signals will return, and you will be able to listen to them again.
If you are underweight, you might have to eat more than would considered normal for a while. You have to provide your body with enough energy not just to function like it should, with all systems 'up and running', but also to gain weight. You might find it very hard to eat this much food, but try to keep in mind that it's only for a while, not forever. Your body simply needs something extra for a time. Once you've reached your normal weight, you can start to get used to a normal eating pattern again. And yes, the weightgain will stop there. If you are worried about gaining too much weight: don't be. Normal eating can never make you fat!
Generally speaking, you should eat three healthy meals a day, and two to three snacks in between. It's important to eat a variety of foods to get the nutrients you need. All foods can be divided into five food groups, and each of these food groups provides some, but not all, of the nutrients you need. Foods in one group can't replace those in another. No one food group is more important than another - for good health, you need them all.
But what does each consist of, and what does it provide you with?
Grains Group
Vitamins B
Minerals
Fibers
Complex carbohydrates (starches) as sources of energy
This food group consists of breads, cereals, rice, and pasta - all foods from grains. You need the servings of these foods each day. Try to steer clear of the more highly processed carbohydrates such as white bread and sugary cereals. Choose whole grain products, such as whole-wheat bread and whole-grain cereals, whenever possible. They have more vitamins, minerals, and fiber than products made from processed white flour. They also hit your bloodstream more slowly, giving you a longer lasting source of fuel.
Vegetable Group
Vitamins A and C
Minerals eg. iron and magnesium
Protein
Fibers
Different types of vegetables provide different nutrients. For variety eat:
dark-green leafy vegetables (spinach, romaine lettuce, broccoli);
deep-yellow vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes);
starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn, peas);
legumes (navy, pinto, and kidney beans, chickpeas);
other vegetables (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green beans)
Deep-yellow, or orange vegetables, like carrots and squash, are a great source of vitamin A. Veggies from the cabbage and pepper families (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, bell peppers) are surprisingly rich in vitamin C. Include dark-green leafy vegetables and legumes several times a week - they are especially good sources of vitamins and minerals. Legumes also provide protein and can be used in place of meat.
Fruit Group
Vitamins A and C
Potassium
Carbohydrates as sources of energy
Fruit makes a great snack or healthy dessert. Strawberries, watermelon, and citrus fruits (like oranges and grapefruit) are full of vitamin C; apricots and other orange-colored fruits have lots of vitamin A; and cantaloupe, mangos and papayas have both vitamins A and C. Try to avoid juices sweetened with sugar or canned fruit in heavy syrup. Choose fresh fruits, fruit juices, and frozen, canned, or dried fruit rather than fruit canned or frozen in heavy syrups and sweetened fruit juices. Eat whole fruits often - they are higher in fiber than fruit juices. Have citrus fruits, melon, and berries regularly. They are rich in vitamin C.
Milk Group
Vitamins
Minerals
Protein
Calcium
A glass of milk or a cup of yogurt has high-quality protein equal to an ounce of meat or cheese or to one egg. Milk, yogurt, and cheese are the best source of calcium. Cottage cheese is lower in calcium than most cheeses.
Meat and beans Group
Vitamins B and E
Minerals eg. iron, zinc and magnesium
Protein
Thiamine
Meat, poultry, and fish supply protein, B vitamins, iron, and zinc. The other foods in this group - dry beans, eggs, and nuts - are similar to meats in providing protein and most vitamins and minerals. Cooked beans are high in protein and fiber and low in fat. Tofu and white beans provide calcium. Almonds are good sources of vitamin E. Beef contains highly absorbable trace minerals like iron, zinc, and magnesium. Poultry and seafood contribute vitamin B6, and pork is a rich source of thiamine.
Fats, Oils, and Sweets Group
This group consists of fats, oils, and sweets. These are foods such as salad dressings and oils, cream, butter, margarine, sugars, soft drinks, candies, and sweet desserts. These foods provide calories and little else nutritionally. Most people should use them sparingly. This does not mean, however, that you shouldn't eat anything from this group; your body needs fats too.
It's generally better to enjoy a really extravagant dessert once in a while than to fill your daily menu with "fat-free" sugary treats. These sweets still tend to be high in calories and pretty much devoid of nutritional benefits. One possible exception may be molasses, which provides a rich source of iron. Don't use artificial sweeteners, your body notices there are no calories in it and will not feel satisfied. Also, your body will learn that there is not much nutritional value in sweet things, and will begin to crave more of them.
Remember, not all fats are created equal. You want to minimize saturated fats found in animal products like meat and dairy, and trans-fats found in margarine or fried snack foods (look out for "partially hydrogenated" anything). Eating too much saturated fat raises blood cholesterol levels in many people, increasing their risk for heart disease. Recommended is limiting saturated fat to less than 10 percent of calories, or about one-third of total fat intake. Focus instead heart-healthy unsaturated fats such as those found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocado. All fats in foods are mixtures of three types of fatty acids - saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Saturated fats are found in largest amounts in fats from meat and dairy product and in some vegetables fats such as coconut, palm, and palm kernel oils. Monounsaturated fats are found mainly in olive, peanut, and canola oils. Polyunsaturated fats are found mainly in safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean, and cottonseed oils and some fish. Choose fat from a variety of food sources, but mostly from those foods that are higher in polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fat.
The number of servings out of each food group that is right for you depends on how many calories you need, which in turn depends on your age, sex, size, and how active you are. For most teenage girls and normally active women, however, 2200 calories is about right, some very active women need about 2800 calories. However, this too isn't a rigid prescription, merely a guideline! You don't have to eat the same, or the same amounts, every day, you may need a bit more today, and tomorrow you may need a bit less...
The table below lists the amount of food that counts as one serving, plus how many servings are needed for both calorie categories. If you eat a larger portion, count it as more than 1 serving. For mixed foods, try to estimate the food group servings of the main ingredients. Use servings only as a general guide, you don't need to count, measure and weigh all of your food.
Be sure to eat at least the lowest number of servings from the five major food groups. You need them for the vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and protein they provide.
It's better to eat more early in the day; your breakfast should contain about 30% of your daily calorie intake, your lunch about 40 %.
|
Servings a day |
|
|
| Food Group |
2200 |
2800 |
1 Serving |
| Grains group |
9 |
11 |
1 slice of bread
1/2 bagel or bun
1 cup of ready to-eat cereal
1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta
|
| Vegetable group |
4 |
5 |
1 cup of raw leafy vegetables
1/2 cup of other vegetables, cooked or chopped raw
3/4 cup of vegetable juice
|
| Fruit group |
3 |
4 |
1 medium apple, banana, orange, pear
1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, canned fruit, or berries
3/4 cup of fruit juice ** Count only 100 percent fruit juice as fruit. Punches, ades, and most fruit "drinks" contain only a little juice and lots of added sugars. Grape and orange sodas don't count as fruit juice. |
| Milk group |
2 or 3 |
2 or 3 |
1 cup of milk
8 ounces of yogurt
1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese (such as Cheddar)
2 ounces of process cheese (such as American)
2 cups of cottage cheese** This includes lactose-free and lactose-reduced milk products. One cup of soy-based beverage with added calcium is an option for those who prefer a non-dairy source of calcium. |
| Meat and beans group |
2, total of 6 ounces |
3, total of 7 ounces |
2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans ***
1/2 cup of tofu
1 egg
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
1/3 cup of nuts
2 1/2-ounce soyburger
all count as one ounce of lean meat *** Dry beans, peas, and lentils can be counted as servings in either the meat and beans group or the vegetable group. As a vegetable, 1/2 cup of cooked, dry beans counts as 1 serving. As a meat substitute, 1 cup of cooked, dry beans counts as 1 serving (2 ounces of meat). |
| Fats, Oils, and Sweets Group |
73 grams |
93 grams |
No specific serving size is given for the fats, oils, and sweets group because the message is USE SPARINGLY. It's up to you to choose how you want to divide the amount of fat you need each day.
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