Five Nutrition Habits to Health

The internet is full of nutrition advice. It can be tiring to go through all the clams and decide which ones are true. Below are five solid nutrition habits to include in your life.

1. Make half your plate veggies. Vegetables are high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and anti-oxidants. They fill you up and give your body the nutrients it needs to function optimally. Be sure to include a variety of colors! Here are a few recipes to try Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Balsamic Roasted Baby Carrots, Spinach Avocado Quinoa Power Salad, and Kale Chips.

2. Have protein with every meal. Not only does protein help to keep you full, it is essential for immune and liver health, and it helps build/maintain muscle mass. Poultry, beef, pork, eggs, nuts, and nut butters are good sources of protein. Poultry, beef, and pork are the highest in protein per gram. Choosing the grass fed, pasture raised beef, chicken, pork, or eggs does make a difference. These items have a higher ratio of omega-3s than their counter part. Breakfast is typically the hardest meal to get enough protein. Here are two recipes to help with the most important meal of the day Avocado Egg Bake and Muffin Tin Baked Eggs. Ladies should aim for 20-30 grams and men 40-60 grams/meals. To put this in perspective 1 ounce of meat provides ~7 grams of protein.

3. Drink half your weight in ounces of water. This is a just a guideline. If you are more active you will need more water. Water helps to transport nutrients and oxygen that help grow and repair cells, messages from hormones, and cell waste. It helps to remove toxins from the body and plays a role in reactions in the body. In addition to lubricating the joints, digestive tract, and lungs, it helps pad your joints and spine. Adequate water also helps your skin to look good! If your body is dehydrated you automatically have a decrease in performance, you can confuse thirst or hunger, and you may experience “brain fog.” Carry a water bottle with you wherever you go to stay hydrated. It can also help to drink water first thing in the morning.

4. Slow down when you eat. It takes about 15-20 minutes for your body to catch up to what you just put in it. If you shovel your food in, the chances of overeating are greater. Eating slower allows you to pay more attention to the way your food tastes creating greater satisfaction and allowing you pay attention to your hunger signals.

5. Plan ahead. You have probably heard the phrase, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” This is especially true with food. If you do not know what you are going to eat how can you make sure it will be there for you? Have a game plan. Different strategies work better for different people/families. For some, having a few options for the week (with the ingredients stocked) and then deciding the day of works. For others, making the protein (chicken, beef, pork…) ahead of time and then making the sides the day of works well. Some need to have everything cooked ahead of time to reheat. There are many options. Find out what works for you or you and your family.

Starting all these habits at once can be overwhelming and chances of success drastically drops. Choose one habit to start. Once you feel confident with that, add another habit. Which habit will you start with first?