EAT: A Healthy Diet

Does a healthy diet mean that you can never have pizza, chocolate, or soda again? Not really.

Eating a "healthy diet" means that you make healthy choices the majority of the time. This does leave room for your favorite foods, occasionally and in smaller amounts.

A healthy diet means "balancing" your intake. Each food group provides key nutrients for ideal health. It is very important for you to be in the best health that you can before going into surgery.

This means getting enough, but not too much of the following:

• Carbohydrates – provide energy & fuel for the body
• Protein – provides the building blocks for cells, muscles & tissues, keeps the immune system healthy
• Fats – provide absorption of certain vitamins, proper growth & development
• Vitamins, minerals & antioxidants – essential for cells, tissue, bone growth & development and a healthy immune system

The right combination of each of these is important for decreasing your risk of complications after surgery and additional disease risk in the future.

Be sure to follow your doctors' orders about particular foods or categories of foods to avoid. Some foods can interact with medications or may not be well tolerated with some medical conditions or procedures. We love these easy, healthful recipes (and we love that we don't have to skip dessert).