Eating Healthier

Dear Doctor,

I am 25 years old and I have been eating fastfood for nearly 15 years habitually. I'm trying to stop and eat healthy. I am 5'7, 175lbs (overweight) and I have a rapid heartbeat. I'd like to eat healthy but don't know where to start. I take the following supplements everyday:

1. 1 Multivitamin
2. 2 Fish Oil Pills
3. 2 Probiotic Pills
4. 1 Vitamin D pill

Outside of those vitamins, I'm uncertain as to what foods I should eat so I don't get too many vitamins on top of what I take. Should I stik to starchy carbs? low fat foods?

Any advice would be great.

[Renee Radenberg]

I would recommend a Heart Healthy diet which is a moderate fat diet. Moderate fat diet means = use polyunsaturated (omega 3, corn oil, nuts, etc) fats and monounsaturated (olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, etc) fats, no saturated fats (high fat snack foods, butter, fat spreads) and no trans fats. Eat low fat meats (chicken, fish, loin of pork) or non-meat sources (soy products, nuts), low fat vegetarian combinations (rice & beans, pasta & beans, low fat cheese & pasta), low fat and substitute dairy products (1% milk, low fat/fat free yogurts, low fat soy milk/soy yogurt), use plant oils, non trans-fat margarines, and eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Eat daily high fiber breads and cereals (oatmeal). To help eat less food per meal, eat about 7-10 almonds (good fat), 20 minutes before lunch and dinner so you will feel full faster and not eat as much food.  Do not be discouraged, weight loss can be a slow process but the slower you loss, the higher chance it will stay off. Think of this new way of eating as your new healthy lifestyle and not as a diet. Hope this helps you.