Balanced healthy diet – or not?

Balanced healthy diet – or not?

Benefits of a healthy diet include relief from PMS-caused bloating and crying spells. A balanced healthy diet can also kill off that annoying feeling of constant hunger.

Diet Problem #3: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

Cause: Consuming too little calcium and magnesium or too much sugar can exacerbate PMS symptoms like moodiness, anxiety, crying spells, bloating, headaches and cravings. Also, eating too few calories may contribute to moodiness.

Balanced healthy diet solution: Cut back on sweets. Consume more calcium-rich foods like nonfat milk, yogurt and calcium-fortified soy products. Eat more healthy foods high in magnesium, including whole-grains, nuts and legumes, and eat sufficient calories.

Best healthy foods to eat: Baked corn chips with salsa and bean dip are a part of healthy diets; so is nonfat cottage cheese with pineapple chunks and toasted almonds; black bean soup with a piece of cornbread; nonfat yogurt sprinkled with lowfat granola; nonfat plain yogurt mixed with apricots and apricot jam; oatmeal cooked in nonfat milk and topped with walnuts; calcium-fortified chocolate soy milk.

Diet Problem #4: Constant hunger

Cause: Skipping breakfast or other meals; following a fad diet with too few calories, carbs and/or protein; or skimping on fiber-rich foods. Or, you could be eating too many empty calories -- high-sugar/high-fat processed food that fills you out but not up.

Balanced healthy diet solution: Spread your food intake evenly throughout the day, starting with breakfast. Healthy diets combine a little protein and high fiber (which together balance blood sugar and keep you full) with quality carbs at each meal and snack. Stay full on fewer calories by eating lots of fiber- and water-packed foods like vegetables, fruit, broth-based soups and stews.

Best healthy foods to eat: Whole-grain cereal with nonfat milk and fruit; turkey-breast sandwich on whole-wheat bread with country-style mustard; whole-wheat pita stuffed with hummus and roasted red peppers; tossed vegetable salad with broccoli, peppers and kidney beans; a bowl of gazpacho with whole-grain crackers and peanut butter; other healthy foods include lowfat, low-sodium vegetable and bean soup and stews.