NUTRITION 101 – TIPS FOR A HEALTHIER DIET

Summer is quickly approaching! Here are some tips to help get you on the right track. Simple small steps can help build the foundation for a life wellness plan for healthy eating and weight loss. Once you have these small steps down you can begin to make additional changes and gradually crowd out those bad habits. You will find yourself on the road towards a thinner you! Try these quick tips to jump-start nutrition.

1. PORTION CONTROL

Size matters! As a rule, be sure that your vegetable section of your meal is 3 times larger than the protein and carbohydrate portions. Try keeping protein to about 4 ounces, more if you are male. Americans eat TOO MUCH protein, and eat TOO MUCH in general! We need to reduce our plate size. Try serving on a smaller dish literally and you will eat less (no seconds!)

2. ROTATE FOODS - VARIETY IS KEY

Most Americans eat the same few foods (corn, dairy, eggs, sugar, wheat, and yeast) every day which is not only boring but nutritionally compromising. This monotonous diet can be the cause of food allergies which can lead to overeating and digestive issues. Try experimenting with new foods.

• Beans (a cup a day can lower cholesterol up to 10 percent in six weeks). Try different varieties from adzukis to hearty pintos.
• Brightly colored fruits and veggies, choosing daily from the cabbage family (bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts), citrus family, legumes (beans, peas, soybeans), lily family (asparagus, garlic, onions), melon/squash family, solanum family (eggplants, peppers, tomatoes), and umbel family (carrots, parsley, parsnips).
• Gluten-free grains: buckwheat, millet, quinoa, sorghum.
• Rice bran, a non-bloating source of fiber that helps balance blood sugar and control weight, and its oil, which helps lower cholesterol. Surprise: Rice bran is rich in antioxidants.

3. SNACK ON WHOLE FOODS

A little fruit, a handful of nuts, or a cup of broth-based soup can help curb appetite and balance blood sugar. No more snacking on processed junk food or anything from a box or can. For example, eating half a grapefruit before meals improved insulin resistance and contributed to weight loss in obese subjects in one recent study.

4. ADD HEALTHY FAT

Many Americans have been taught that fat is bad and that fat makes us gain weight. This is not necessarily true. Healthy fats are needed for the body to function properly. Such fats essential fatty acids (EFAs) are excellent for reducing inflammation and support your brain, heart, weight control, and may even help tame PMS and hot flashes. Use extra-virgin olive oil for cooking, and add wild-caught fish, evening primrose and flax oils, walnuts, and EFA supplements to your diet.

5. HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE

Try carrying around a water bottle to remind yourself to drink water throughout the day. You should be drinking half your body weight in ounces, between meals (during meals is not recommended since it dilutes the essential enzymes needed during the digestion process).Often we think we are hungry when truly we are simply dehydrated. If you are having a difficult time drinking water first try making teas or squeezing some lemon or lime or slices of apple to make the water more tasty.