National Nutrition Month encourages everyone to adopt healthy eating and physical activity into their lifestyle. This month is all about consuming lower calorie foods and making more informed food selections with nutrient dense options, along with increasing daily activity to achieve and maintain a healthy weight and prevent chronic disease.
Try these 6 Steps to begin your healthier lifestyle:
Add More Fruit and Vegetables into Your Diet.
Fruits and vegetables supply antioxidants to the body that assist with fighting free radicals known to cause disease and inflammation. Not only that, they’re also generally high in fiber, which can help fill you up and ward off your appetite.
Prepare Meals/Snacks on the Weekends.
Carve out time on the weekends to meal plan and prep for the week ahead. Staying organized and focused with your meals will help you to avoid excessive dining out and/or consuming more processed ‘convenient’ high energy foods.
The morning is a time when it is especially easy to reach for a less-healthy processed option in your rush to get out the door. Try to have 1-2 options prepared for breakfast in advance that you can grab and run with each morning.
Add Variety
Mix up your weekly meal plans to keep you from getting in a rut. However, avoid too many options that make it over whelming. Start off by designating one night a week to trying a new recipe or meal.
Watch Your Portions
Become familiar with portion control by measuring food intake and ordering to-go containers when dining out.
Drink More Water
Increase your fluid intake and limit high sugar beverages. You should drink half of your body weight in ounces daily. Ideally this would come primarily from water, but unsweetened tea is another excellent source.
Move More
Carve out at least 30 minutes 5 days a week for moderate intensity activities. Going for a jog or bike ride are easy ways to get in your weekly activity.
