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Simple Diet Changes That Improve Your Health
It's time to empower yourself and your family by eating healthier foods. Improving your diet is one of the most helpful ways to take control of your health, especially when managing or preventing chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, or digestive issues. Small and simple changes can lead to big improvements in how you feel both physically and mentally. Discover practical ways to make healthier choices at home or when you’re going out.
*We encourage everyone to speak with their healthcare provider before making any significant changes to their diet or lifestyle. Your provider will consider your individual health needs and medical history to ensure that these changes are right for you.
Portion Control
Portion control is a simple yet effective tool for managing chronic conditions. Even healthy foods like fruits can affect your blood sugar when eaten in excess. A common misconception is that because something is considered “healthy,” you can eat as much as you want, but that is far from the truth!
Tips for Portion Control
- When eating out, ask the waiter to serve you only half of your meal and box up the other half to take home for later.
- Use your hand as a measuring guide:
- Carbohydrates (pasta, rice, mashed potatoes): about the size of your palm
- Fruits (apple, strawberries): about the size of your fist
- Snacks (berries with yogurt, almonds): about the size of your hand cupped
- Cooking oils (to coat the pan): about a thumb-sized amount
- Use smaller plates and bowls to reduce portion sizes.
- Once you serve your food, step out of the kitchen to avoid going back for seconds.
Make Healthy Food Choices as a Family
Small substitutions can make meals healthier without extreme restrictions. Making changes together as a family can make it easier to start. Encourage a healthy, balanced diet with less junk food and sweets, and more fruits and vegetables.
Family Friendly Swaps:
- Replace fruit snacks with fresh fruits or vegetables
- Replace soda with milk or water
- Replace ham with turkey
- Replace white rice with brown rice or a whole-grain pasta
- Replace chips and dip with carrots and hummus
You don’t have to feel guilty when going out to eat, especially if you know you did the best you could. Going out and enjoying your time should still be an option for you!
Healthy Choices While Eating Out:
- Try grilled, baked, or steamed foods instead of fried
- Ask for dressings or sauces on the side so you can control how much you want
- Swap out fries for a salad or vegetable
- Instead of drinking soda try lemon water
Find Recipes Online
Many websites and social media platforms offer recipes tailored to your chronic conditions whether it’s diabetes-friendly, heart-healthy, or gut-friendly. Next time you're scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, save that new recipe that pops up on your feed and give it a try. Also, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has recipes with a focus on healthy ingredients that offer nutrition and variety, developed by registered dietitian nutritionists. Visit eatright.org/recipes to find a new meal.
Grow Your Own Food
Growing your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs is an affordable way to improve your diet and can be a fun activity for you and your family to try. You don’t need a large outdoor space to get started. There are portable indoor hydroponics that you can place in the comfort of your own home. At CHDC, we’ve had the opportunity to experience the benefits of hydroponic growing firsthand thanks to Trellis For Tomorrow, who provided us with a hydroponic grow tower. This allows us to harvest fresh lettuce for staff while supporting sustainability and wellness in our workplace.
Take Care of Your Digestion & Colorectal Health
Make sure you are including fiber-rich and probiotic-rich foods into your diet. It’s also important to stay on top of colorectal health especially if you have a family history of colorectal conditions. Early detection of digestive issues can improve your chances of successful treatments.
Screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) on time matters! Regular screenings can help find CRC in early stages when it’s most treatable. When caught in early stages, colon cancer is survivable in 9 out of 10 people. CHDC is partnering with Cologuard to become a drop off site for collection kits. The Cologuard test is covered by Medicare and most major insurers. Patients who are interested in learning more should speak with their CHDC provider to obtain a kit.
Source: Patient Resources for CRC Screening | Stool DNA Testing
Empower Yourself Through Food
Making small, yet healthy changes to your diet can drastically improve your health. These changes can make you feel better and help manage your chronic condition. Healthy eating doesn’t have to be perfect or feel restrictive, and the process is a learning curve for many people. Start where you feel comfortable, involve family and friends, and focus on building healthy habits over time. At CHDC, your health and your family are our priority.
If you would like to schedule an appointment at CHDC, please call 610-326-9460 to speak with a Patient Services Representative.