New Year's Resolutions for Life

The New Year is here and it brings with it the flood of New Year's resolutions- usually to lose weight or change your eating habits in one way or the other. If you have broken your resolution already remember that the Mediterranean diet is a way of life and a no-diet diet. The Basic Art of Italian Cooking is based on eating the Mediterranean diet way-healthy and all natural and eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. For the easy way to eat the Mediterranean diet way, follow the Mediterranean food pyramid athttp://www.womensheart.org/content/Nutrition/mediterranean.asp
Resolutions should be for life not just for the first week of the New Year.
Here are 6 ways to help make healthy eating resolutions easy for the New Year and for life:
1-Forget ‘Fad’ Diets
Weight loss diets that are extremely restrictive or that totally eliminates a food group or over emphasizes a food group are not healthy, too extreme and are doomed to fail. They are not long term but just very short term solutions.
RESOLUTION-Eat a healthy, well balanced diet that emphasizes healthy, unprocessed foods. Be mindful of portion sizes- especially when eating out. Incorporate more movement into your every day daily life
2-Emphasize Variety
Eat a wide variety of all food groups. Not any one food has all the nutrients you need.
RESOLUTION-Pay attention to all food groups- grain products, meat & substitutes, nuts, legumes, vegetables, fruit and dairy products. Attempt to incorporate a healthy balance of all food groups in your daily diet.
3-Moderation
Eating healthfully does not mean giving up or eliminating the foods we enjoy. It means allowing yourself to eat moderate amounts.
RESOLUTION-Aim to eat everything in moderation. Smaller portions of foods higher in calories.
4-Plan Long Term
A single meal or food is not what makes or breaks a healthy pattern of eating
RESOLUTION- Think of healthy eating as a lifelong habit not something you do for a month and then quit. When you eat healthy balanced meals most of the time, enjoying occasional indulgences is fine
5-Breakfast is #1
RESOLUTION-Eat a healthy balanced breakfast every day. It helps control weight, improves concentration for a busy day at work and school and it provides nutrients missing in your diet.
6-Slow & Steady
One small change at a time works best for lasting change.
RESOLUTION- When modifying how you eat do it slowly. You are making changes that should last for life not just for the month. Read also :

http://www.healthmad.com/Weight-Loss/How-to-Make-Weightloss-Resolutions-for-Life.71786

Ciao for now!!Maria
http://www.marialiberati.com
For recipes using the Mediterranean Diet, purchase your copy of the bestselling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com and receive free shipping on your purchase