Two vital principles

Your long-term healthy eating strategy depends on two principles:

1. Controlling calorie intake through portion control and proper food choices
2. Eating low glycemic index foods—those that don't turn on the body's "insulin pump."

Building on this

Now you can build on these principles as you teach yourself how to eat properly—whether you're at home, on the road, or at a nice restaurant.

• Starches - Choose lower glycemic index and whole-grain choices over more refined and processed (white flour, commercial baked) goods.
• Protein - Choose lean cuts that are lower in saturated fat like buffalo, pork loin, skinless light meat poultry, fish, and meatless choices like tofu and low-fat soy burgers.
• Fruits - Choose low glycemic index fruits like blackberries, cherries, and citrus, and avoid fruit canned with syrup and fruit juices, which are very high in sugar and may contain high fructose corn syrup.
• Vegetables - Choose low glycemic index vegetables like salad greens, zucchini, mushrooms, and spinach instead of veggies like peas, corn, taro, and carrots.
• Fats - Choose healthy oils like olive and canola and those high in omega-3 fatty acids, rather than unhealthy fats like butter, trans-fats, and hydrogenated oils (common in processed foods).
• Legumes - Choose lower glycemic index legumes like lentils, soybeans, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), and black beans; peas, kidney beans, lima beans, and white beans are also good choices.
• Water - Water is essential to the proper function of organs and systems, removing wastes and toxins from the body. You should drink at least 64 ounces of water every day.