Four rules for healthier eating

We all wish there was a miracle list of the ways to get slim by eating a gianormous bag of potato chips. But if you're willing to put a little bit of work into your diet, here are a few simple ways from SELF.com to eat healthier.

1) If you can't grow it, don't eat it. That doesn't mean getting your hands dirty by digging a new garden. What it does mean is avoiding as many processed foods as possible. SELF explains it like this:

A potato comes from the ground, an egg from a hen. But where did that Pop-tart come from? If your best guess is "aisle 7," pass it up.

2) Laziness will triumph. Sometimes your desire to do nothing more than lounge on the couch can help your diet - that is, if you don't have any unhealthy snacks in your kitchen. So don't buy them OR if you do, put them on a top shelf in the pantry where dragging out the step ladder may just be too much work.

3) Your hips are not a fridge. Repeat this mantra to yourself often. If you make five cups of pasta, eat two. The invention of refrigeration provided us with a method to keep food edible for days! Who knew, right? So save half your dinner and you'll save half the calories.

4) Watching "Top Chef" isn't cooking. And watching the "Barefoot Contessa" is definitely not cooking healthy. If you're following along, fine. But if you're eating an entire pizza while watching Rachael Ray create a 90 calorie salad feast, you're kidding yourself. SELF magazine suggests this:

No need to whip up a seven-course meal, but you can pick up tips [from the shows] about combining flavors and using fresh ingredients.

Check out the SELF Web site for 16 more food rules to live by.

Posted by: CNN.com senior associate producer Jacque Wilson
Filed under: Health • Living