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The Athlete's Kitchen
Copyright March, 2002:  Nancy Clark, MS, RD

Foods to Keep Your Body Healthy

Once upon a time, certain foods were considered pleasurable: bacon & 
eggs, burgers & fries, ice cream & cookies. People ate them without a 
twinge of guilt. But as the years pass and good health becomes more 
fragile,  these meals have become known as heart-attacks-on-a-plate. Thus, my 
clients repeatedly ask: 
	• What are the best foods to eat to enhance my health?
	• What are the worst foods to eat...what foods should I avoid?
Indeed, food can be powerfully harmful. A bad diet contributes to not 
only heart disease but also cancer, hypertension, osteoporosis, obesity, 
kidney disease, macular degeneration and a plethora of other ailments. 
Yet, the answer to the question about "bad foods" is simple: the foods 
to avoid are items that are moldy, poisonous, or to which you are 
allergic. Other than that, all foods in moderation can be balanced into a 
healthful diet. 

Eat More of the Best
     To tip the balance in favor of your good health, you do want to 
focus your menu on health protective foods. By eating more of the best 
foods, less of the rest, you can have a powerful impact on your future 
health and well being. Because genetics plays a big role in health, you 
also want to take a careful look at your family's health history. For 
example, genetics likely explains why a seemingly healthy, 48 year-old 
marathoner was found dead on a running trail. He'd stopped his watch 
after running for two hours, then collapsed from a massive heart attack, a 
death similar to that of his father's. Genetics also explains why some 
women "shrink" at an early age, ending up in pain from osteoporosis at 
age 60. 
    We cannot change our genetics, but we can change our diets to 
optimize our health and longevity. The purpose of this article is offer a 
few suggestions for easy ways to improve the quality of your daily diet, 
so that even if you are a junk food junkie, you can take steps towards 
reaching your life's potential.

Tip #1. Front-load your calories. 
Do not "hold off" until dinner to eat a huge meal. People who skimp on 
daytime meals tend to get too hungry and consequently experience 
powerful cravings for sweets, fats and "junk." Your good intentions to eat 
apples and carrots can get trampled in your stampede to devour apple pie 
and carrot cake. By preventing hunger--that is, by eating a heartier 
breakfast, lunch and a planned afternoon snack (or even a second lunch, 
if dinner won't be until after 7:00 p.m.), you'll--
•  consume more nourishing foods at those meals. Cereal, milk and 
banana at 7:00 a.m. can cure cravings for donuts, pastries or croissants at 
10:00 a.m. (and even at 10:00 p.m., for that matter). 
• reduce the risk of gaining weight. A survey of dieters who lost 
weight and have kept it off suggests eating breakfast is a key to successful 
weight management. When you  fuel your body with wholesome, hearty 
meals by day, you are able to eat less at night. Make it your goal to wake 
up hungry for breakfast!

Tip #2. Eat more whole foods
Enjoy more whole apples instead of apple juice; more whole wheat breads 
instead of breads, pitas and wraps made from refined white flour; more 
whole grain cereals like granola instead of Special K or Rice Crispies. 
By choosing more whole foods, you get more fiber. Fiber is satisfying; 
it helps you feel full longer, hence curbs your appetite so you end up 
eating fewer sweets and fats without feeling denied or deprived. Whole 
foods also offer more vitamins and health protective phytochemicals 
that help your body's engine run smoother.

Tip #3. Eat fruit in the morning. 
Of all the health protective foods, fruits are among the best. Yet, 
most Americans eat way too little fruit; it is unable to compete against 
chips, cookies and candy. The easiest way to improve your fruit intake 
is to make a point of eating fruit for breakfast, such as a banana on 
cereal plus a glass of orange juice. (Yes, eating the whole orange would 
be preferable, but when time is tight, drinking orange juice is better 
than having no juice or fruit. Calcium-fortified OJ offers an extra 
bonus.) Choosing fruit for snacks throughout the day can displace "junk."
Some fruits offer more nutrients than others, so try to eat more of the 
best: oranges (or orange juice), grapefruit, kiwi, bananas, cantaloupe, 
strawberries and mango.

Tips #3. Eat more veggies. 
Munching on pre-dinner carrot sticks or green pepper strips is a 
healthful alternative to munching on chips.  Frozen broccoli, spinach or 
winter squash are easy options for days when you lacked time to shop for 
fresh veggies. Your goal: to have veggies cover one-third of your dinner 
plate. This can  reduce your risk of over-indulging in steak or french  
fries. 

Tip #4. Eat more peanut butter and nuts. 
Although nuts are high in fat, their oil is health protective. Research 
suggests people who eat nuts (including peanut butter) five or more 
time a week have a 50% lower risk of heart disease. While peanut butter on 
a whole grain bagel for breakfast may seem like a decadent treat to 
some folks, I consider it an honorable breakfast choice. (Add a glass of 
lowfat milk and/or a banana for more balance.) Peanuts are perfect for 
afternoon snacks; you can easily file them under "emergency food" in 
your desk drawer. They don't spoil and are satiating enough to reduce your 
dinner appetite plus provide the energy you need to cook, let's say, 
broccoli and potato for dinner instead of chowing on potato chips the 
minute you walk in the kitchen door.

Tip #5. Eat fish at least twice a week. 
People who eat 2 or more fish meals per week have less heart disease. 
If you have tuna for lunch once or twice a week, and fish or seafood 
when you dine in restaurants, you'll easily enhance your fish intake. (Or, 
you can simply cook fish at home a few times a week.) 

Tip #6. Eat more soy foods. 
Some folks enjoy a glass of chocolate soy milk for a bedtime snack. 
Others cook soy sausage or soy bacon for breakfast. Many prefer soy in 
it's native Indian, Chinese, and Thai cuisines. And others choose soy 
protein bars. Whatever your method, soy is a healthful choice. The trick is 
plan ahead, so you can consume soy daily (ideally 3 to 4 servings each 
day).

Tip #6. Plan time to food shop.
If you schedule weekly time for food shopping, you'll enhance the likelihood of having wholesome, 
health protective foods readily available. 

* Material re-printed with authors permission.

Nancy Clark, MS, RD specializes in nutrition for exercise. She offers private nutrition consultations at Sports Medicine Brookline. Her popular Sports Nutrition Guidebook, 2nd edition ($14.36+shipping)) is available via Amazon.com or by sending $23 to Sports Nutrition Services, 830 Boylston St. #205, Brookline MA 02467.