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March is National Nutrition Month

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It is always a good time to think about good nutrition and eating healthy.  Exercise and eating healthy can add years to your life.  Living a healthy lifestyle can increase the likelihood that you will live longer.  Nutrition, monitoring your health, weight, and a healthy diet are important.  Food is what fuels the body.  It is what delivers the proper calories and nutrients the body needs.  If your body does not get the proper nutrients, you are more likely to experience health problems.
 

Nutrients like proteins, carbs, fat, vitamins, fiber, and minerals are what the body needs to function properly.  Eat foods that are high in nutrients like: fiber, healthy fats, protein, minerals and vitamins; foods like fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, eggs, veggies and fatty fish.  To improve your eating habits, cut back on eating processed foods like soda, fried foods, candy, cereal high in sugar, boxed food products, which usually have high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, artificial colors or sweeteners that are bad for your health.  Those foods have a higher risk for depression, heart disease, obesity and other health related issues.

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It is not always easy to discipline yourself to eat the right foods all the time.  Depending upon your health condition, it could be okay to cheat on a diet, based on your doctor’s nutritional recommendations.  It is easier to eat healthier when you monitor what you buy from the grocery store.  Depending upon your dietary restrictions, buy foods based on these three categories:

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• Protein: eggs, chicken, fish, or a plant-based option like tofu

• Fat: olive oil, nuts, seeds, nut butter, avocado, cheese, or full fat yogurt

• Fiber-rich carbs: starchy options like sweet potatoes, oats, certain fruits, and beans — or low carb fiber sources like asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, and berries.

 

Staying hydrated is also a good part of being healthy as well. Water is the best way to stay hydrated.  If you do not like water, you can add fruits and lemons to add flavor to the water.  A dietician can help you strategize about the most suitable eating habits based on your dietary restrictions.  Eating healthy is a way to help you live a long and healthy life.

 

For more resources on Nutrition visit: www.nutrition.gov.

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By Dietra Myers