Nutrition is a complicated topic if we keep the focus on the latest fad, popular trend, or the “in” pop culture-esque piece of advice (whether it’s right or wrong or somewhere in between).
Keep it Simple
I’m a fan of using the “Keep it Simple” approach whenever I plan a lesson and deliver information. Nutrition doesn’t need to be complicated if we focus on simple steps and add variety and flavor to foods. Life is a complicated journey all on its own and we humans have a way of making it more complicated when we allow the “quacksperts” to invade our minds with silly theories and false information.
I vote to reduce the complexity by applying simple “Top 10’s” to our lives. The month of April will be dedicated to a new top 10 list each week. This week, the focus is on nutrition tips.
This week’s top 10 tips…
- Eat breakfast. Every day. This fuels the body and the mind and revs up the engine (the metabolism).
- Try one new food each week such as chia seeds (great crunch in salads or yogurt) or a fun fruit you’ve never had. This is a key to adding variety. You have to try it before you know if you’ll like it.
- Infuse your water. Add slices of fresh fruit to flavor the otherwise plain taste of this necessary nutrient.
- Check your probiotics. If you aren’t an avid yogurt consumer, consider using a quality probiotic to protect and support gut health.
- Get some Omega fats at least twice a week (try salmon, flaxseed, walnuts).
- Need to boost calories in the diet of a picky toddler, add avocado to a smoothie – great source of monounsaturated fats that won’t affect flavor.
- Experiment with spices. Add thyme to roasted veggies, try crushed red pepper on baked chicken, throw some ginger into homemade salad dressing. Anything goes with spices.
- Embrace the egg. Eggs are an incredible source of a variety of nutrients. Don’t be afraid of the egg (yes, they are high in cholesterol so if you are on a strict diet monitored by an RD or MD, check with him/her first).
- Taste the rainbow. When it comes to fruits and veggies, nutrients vary by the color of the product. Brighten your plate with the colors of nature.
- Eat mindfully. Life is busy – day’s fly by and we rarely take the time to connect with the meal – to give thanks for its nourishing properties and to appreciate that we have a meal to eat. Sit down, quiet the surroundings, dim the lights, and take the time to not just eat your meal, but to taste it.
Be and eat well, friends. Until next week.
