Answers to Healthy Eating Questions
1. FALSE - Being physically active is a part of a healthy lifestyle. However, too much exercise can result in injury and illness, and obsessive exercise or exercising to burn off calories can even be a sign of disordered eating practices. Focus on exercise for the sake of enjoyment and overall fitness (emotional as well as physical ), not merely as a means to burn calories or lose weight.
2. TRUE - Ignoring hunger signals is not an act of will power, it is an act of neglect. A body needs food for energy like a car needs gas to drive. If you are feeling hungry, irritable, and weak, it is your body telling you it is time to refuel. It knows what we need and tries to help us get it. Think about it: Do you listen to your body when it tells you to use the bathroom or to remove your hand from a hot stove? What are the consequences of ignoring those natural signals?
3. FALSE - Part of eating a healthy diet is not defining foods as "good foods" and "bad foods" It is important to eat a balanced variety of foods each day, which may include broccoli as well as cheesecake or fries, if those are treats your enjoy.
4. FALSE - Ignoring cravings typically only serves to intensify them and can result in binge eating. If you allow yourself that one serving of ice cream that you desire, you may avoid bingeing on the whole gallon in a single sitting sometime later in the day.
5. FALSE - You cannot make assumptions about someone's eating and exercise habits (or their health) based on their size? Many thin individuals have poor diets and get little exercise and can be in poorer overall healthy than a larger person who exercises regularly and eats a balanced diet. It is important o keep that in mind as you interact with people of all sizes and shapes.
6. TRUE - The keys to healthy eating are moderation, balance, and variety – nothing in extremes. Often people hear this advance and think it means they can eat whatever they crave, all the time. Obviously, we cannot survive on potato chips or chocolate chip cookies alone. And if you tried, chances are you'd probably start to crave some pasta or fresh fruit after awhile. These cravings are your body's way of helping you get the nutrients it knows you need. Listening to your body involves eating what you want, when you are truly hungry and stopping when you are full.
