March is National Nutrition Month and is the perfect time to help increase awareness of the importance of nutrition and learn how you can make healthy food and drink choices, create improved eating habits, and incorporate more physical activity into your daily lifestyle.
Here are some healthy tips:
Make half your plate fruits and vegetable. Fruits and veggies add color, fiber, flavor, vitamins and minerals to your plate. Experiment with fresh, frozen, and canned.
Watch portion sizes. With half your plate already filled with fruits and vegetables, the remaining half should be portioned with half protein and half healthy starch, such as whole grains and potatoes.
Prepare healthy snacks. Healthy snacks can sustain your energy levels between meals. Choose from two or more food groups, such as peanut butter with apple or raw vegetables with cottage cheese.
Get cooking. Preparing food at home can be healthier since you are in control of how it is prepared.
Experiment with more plant-based meals. Vegetables, beans, whole grains, and lentils are all great substitutes instead of meat and can be cost effective and better for your overall health.
Drink more water. Hydration is important for your body and skin! Staying properly hydrated helps your body function better and keeps you feeling full longer, thus eliminating overeating or consuming empty calories that don’t provide nutritional value to your system.
Get to know food labels. Reading the nutrition facts label can help you shop, eat, and drink smarter.
Be active. Physical activity has many health benefits. Start with 10 minutes at a time and build yourself up to 2 hours and 30 minutes a week (for adults).
Stretch. Stretching not only feels great, but it can also help relieve chronic pain, protect joints, and maintain your range of movement to keep you active and healthy. It can also help reduce your stress and anxiety levels, which can sometimes lead to overeating or stress eating.
Explore new foods and flavors. To keep from getting bored, try different grains, vegetables, or fruits that you’re not used to. This helps add more nutrition and eating pleasure by varying your choices.
Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many goals at one time. Try to set SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time oriented) and work one day and meal at a time to achieve your goals!
At Touchette Regional Hospital, our compassionate medical staff is available when you need us. We encourage you to incorporate healthy tips into your daily activities. And if you find that you need additional help in learning how to better manage your health, we’re here to help. An appointment can be made with our dietitian with a referral from your primary care provider.
To learn more about our staff and our services, please check out our website: www.touchette.org.