by Jenny Gaal, Fitness Director
Every day we run into tons of different nutrition recommendations….What are we to believe? Some of these claims offer us good advice, while others seem to have more agenda than truth behind them. A few tips to consider while figuring out just what is actually healthy.
- Unhealthy foods are often packaged and marketed to appear healthy. Shiny packages and entertaining commercials certainly do their job to burn brand images and healthy claims into our brains, but buyer beware…low fat, low calorie, low sodium, cholesterol free, and various claims are often nothing more than marketing. Stick to the produce section next time you shop for groceries.
- Eating out a lot will kill your healthy diet goals. Good nutrition habits, after all, require dedication, and sacrifice. Make a point to plan ahead or don’t be bashful to make special requests in restaurants.Reduce total carb intake too- A low carbohydrate diet is no fad. The first low-carb diets have been part of almost every popular and effective weight loss diet book in the last several decades. Every time you’re instructed to reduce sugar intake and eat more veggies – as in the South Beach Diet, Mediterranean Diet, American Diabetes Association Diet, American Heart Association Diet or DASH Diet (to name a few) – you’re most likely following a lower carbohydrate dietary lifestyle.
- Find what works for you! The key to maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle is finding the smart food choices and exercise that you can commit to not what might work for someone else or claims to be the best new breakthrough.
- Reduce sodium intake. There should be no more than 2000mg of sodium per day in your diet. Take a look at the nutritional label next time you make a reach for a bag of processed foods-you maybe surprised. Excess sodium effects more than just water retention and high blood pressure.
