It’s March, which means it’s National Nutrition Month®. This year’s theme is “Discover the Power of Nutrition.” Together we will take time each week to learn how to make informed food choices and how to incorporate evidence-based eating habits that will help us thrive as individuals, families and communities.
Nutrition is Power
Have you heard the saying “food is medicine”? It’s a powerful statement. Nutrition is powerful. It is the fuel that gets our bodies up and going. It keeps our bodies running. How you eat can affect so many parts of your body and so many parts of your day. We’ve previously discussed why starting your day with breakfast is so vital for your metabolism, organ function and mental clarity. We have also discussed healthy nutrition and the importance of eating from different food groups to attain the nourishment that keeps our body functioning at optimal performance. Food is powerful. Taking control of your day and your health is powerful. Caring for the body you will live in for your entire life is crucial. But don’t stress. It doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Powering your day with nutrition can be enjoyable and will show results in how you feel in just days’ time (sometimes even sooner). Let’s dive in deeper and see just how we can power our days and power our minds.
What You Choose to Eat Matters
Have you committed to eating healthier and find yourself failing at the end of every day? We set out to do well. We tell ourselves, “Today I am going to eat healthy and do better”. We have every intention to do better. We start our day by eating breakfast, we make sure we hydrate, we have a decent lunch, maybe some fruits and vegetables as snacks and then comes dinner. We might be tired from working. We might have families to attend to, a house that needs to be cleaned, chores that need to get done. Suddenly the thought of making dinner is too overwhelming. Instead of sticking to the plan we say, “tomorrow will be better” and we pour ourselves a bowl of sugared cereal or have a frozen dinner. This is not always a bad thing. Sometimes the day will call for just that – a break. But when it becomes a habit it could be that our plan isn’t working for us. Sometimes it can be because we did not plan our meals. Having a meal plan for the week or even for just a few days at a time can make mealtime so much easier. By having a plan and creating a grocery list for three days of breakfast, three days of dinner and three days of lunch we can ensure that we have all the ingredients we need for the meals, take the guess work out of what we should eat and see how many food groups we are getting for each meal. Sounds like a lot? It doesn’t have to. Making meals can be both easy and fun with use of our recipe database.
Breakfast Doesn’t Have to be for Breakfast; Dinner Doesn’t Have to be for Dinner
If you meal plan and have leftovers for more than enough days, keep in mind that foods do not have to be eaten in a particular order. Kids (and adults) love having eggs and French toast and fruit for dinner, just as many individuals enjoy having rice, black beans and seasoned meat for breakfast. The structure of what each meal “should have” does not have to be written in stone. Get creative and make meals an experience. Experiment with different ways to present the meal in visually appealing ways while making sure that you are fueling your body with all the nutrients it needs to make it more exciting. Avoid foods that you genuinely dislike or that don’t make you feel great. Incorporate more foods and not less, meaning eat a variety of fruits to get your vitamins and minerals, but avoid eating a grapefruit diet that requires you to only eat grapefruit daily while eliminating all other foods. Avoid fads and eat a variety of colorful foods. Powering your day with nutrition is meant to be enjoyable and a life journey and experience. Treat it with joy and your mind and body will thank you for it.
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