National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month which aims to focus on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. What better way to celebrate than focusing on the basics of eating healthy with these 5 easy tips?

1. Drink more water. It’s common to mistake thirst for hunger, so staying well hydrated will also help you make healthier food choices. Try drinking 2 glasses of water before each meal for a total of eight, 8 ounce glasses daily. When we don’t get enough water, it can cause dehydration. Dehydration can cause tiredness, low energy, and headaches.

2. Set time aside to meal prep each week. Just by having your meal made the night before can help you to make healthier choices. When you buy fruits and vegetables, try cutting them up and have them in individual baggies for an easy, on-the-go healthy choice.

3. Read nutrition labels. Be aware of what’s in your food as manufacturers often hide large amounts of sugar or unhealthy fats in packaged food, even food claiming to be healthy. Also, watch for “partially hydrogenated oil” in the ingredient list. It is another way to say trans fat, which is the worst fat we want to stay away from!

4. Be sure to get enough sleep. It may be just as important as diet and exercise, if not more. Poor sleep can drive insulin resistance, throw your appetite hormones out of whack and reduce your physical and mental performance. Healthy adults should aim for 7-9 hours each night.

5. Focus on how you feel after eating. The more healthy food you eat, the better you’ll feel after a meal. Same thing goes for the more junk food you eat, the more likely you are to feel uncomfortable, nauseous, or drained of energy. The better you feel the more likely you are to change your poor eating habits to healthier choices.