10 Rules for Healthy Eating
You know an apple is a healthier snack than a candy bar, but how do you make the big changes and eat real food all the time? Start here with these ten easy and delicious rules.
By Lindsay Funston and Emma Haak
Rule #1: Eat Two Pounds of Vegetables
Every single day. "Loading your diet with vegetables will naturally crowd out things you shouldn't be eating," says Joel Fuhrman, MD, author of Eat to Live Cookbook, who recommends this amount after analyzing studies connecting vegetable consumption with overall health. Aim for one pound raw and one pound cooked: Certain cancer-fighting compounds in some vegetables, like broccoli, cabbage, and kale, are better absorbed raw, while cooking others (carrots, sweet corn) can boost their levels of antioxidants. Though two pounds might sound like a lot, a single sweet potato can get you a quarter of the way there. "You don't necessarily need to measure your food; just use this figure as a reminder to eat a hefty amount of veggies every day," Fuhrman says. "Work in cooked greens and interesting stir-fries, and you're set."
From the January 2014 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine