Do I need to change what I eat?

If you answer yes to any of the following questions, you may need to talk about improving your nutrition with your doctor:

• Has your doctor talked with you about a medical problem or a risk factor, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol?
• Did your doctor tell you that this condition could be improved by better nutrition?
• Do diabetes, cancer, heart disease or osteoporosis run in your family?
• Are you overweight?
• Do you have questions about what kinds of foods you should eat or whether you should take vitamins?
• Do you think that you would benefit from seeing a registered dietitian, a member of the health care team who specializes in nutrition counseling?




Wont it be hart to change my eating habits




Probably, but even very small changes can improve your health considerably. The key is to keep choosing healthy foods and stay in touch with your doctor and dietitian, so they know how you are doing. Here are a few suggestions that can improve your eating habits:



• Find the strong points and weak points in your current diet. Do you eat 4 1/2 cups of fruits and vegetables every day? Do you get enough calcium? Do you eat whole-grain, high-fiber foods regularly? If so, you're on the right track! Keep it up. If not, add more of these foods to your daily diet.
• Keep track of your food intake by writing down what you eat and drink every day. This record will help you see if you need to eat more from any food groups (such as fruits, vegetables or dairy products) or if you need to eat less of a good group (such as processed or high-fat foods).
• Think about asking for help from a dietitian if you haven't already done so, especially if you have a medical problem that requires you to follow a special diet