HEALTHY EATING

Taken from Healthy Steps Nutrition by Nicole Aucoin

1. Get rid of the junk 

If junk food is easily available, you are more likely to reach for it in a moment of weakness. Go through your pantry and get rid of all the processed crackers, chips and high sugary snacks. Stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables and some of the “approved snack foods.”

Examples of approved snack foods:

Kind Bars

Quest Bars

Nuts and fresh fruit

Hummus and pre-cut veggies

2. Drink More Water

Water plays many important roles in the body and is needed for all metabolism processes. Water keeps your cells alive and aids in the transport of nutrients, regulates body temperature, removes waste products (including the byproducts of fat) and acts as a lubricant for your joints, spinal cord and brain! Remember sugary drinks, sodas and specialty coffee drinks aren’t the same as drinking water and can make it extremely difficult to achieve your weight loss goals.

Tips to drink more water:

Drink a cup first thing as you are getting ready in the morning

Get a cup with a straw (you drink faster with a straw)

Flavor with fresh fruit, mint or cucumber

Make a water log and keep track of how many cups you drink (Goal: 8 cups per day)

Monitor the color of your pee; if it’s clear, you are doing a good job and if its bright yellow, drink more water!

3. Remember the 50/25/25 Rule

The plate method is an easy go-to when trying to understand portion sizes. Fifty percent of your plate should be non-starchy veggies, twenty-five percent lean meat and twenty-five percent complex carbohydrate.

Examples of Macronutrients:

– Non-starchy vegetables: broccoli, carrots, green beans, asparagus, cauliflower

– Lean Meat: chicken, fish, turkey

– Starch/Complex Carbohydrate: brown rice, quinoa, sweet potato, black beans, butternut squash