Tips to a Healthier You!!

 • Eat a whole foods diet, consisting mainly of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh juices, lean proteins, and essential heart-healthy oils like fish, flax and vegetable oils. Supplementation may be necessary if you are on a restricted diet or are nutrient-deficient due to medical conditions, allergies or disease.

• Keep a diary of your daily diet to stay on track towards meeting your health goals. Review your diet with a nutritionist on a weekly basis.

• Set reasonable goals. Take it easy! You can’t change your lifestyle overnight. Add one new health goal each week so that they accumulate over time, progressing toward a healthier you.

• Make sure you know the proper serving sizes for each food you eat. It is easy to overeat if the portion size is too large, and vice versa. Please refer to www.mypyramid.gov for your appropriate serving sizes.

• Eat every 4-6 hours to maintain a stable blood sugar level. A steady blood sugar level prevents your body from retreating into starvation mode. During this mode, your body feeds on muscle mass, which is something you don’t want to lose!

• Daily exercise helps to maintain a higher metabolism, healthy heart function, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, and elevates mood, among other benefits. Weight bearing exercises build muscle mass and prevent against bone loss. Start off slow if you haven’t exercised in a while.

• Drink plenty of pure water! Eight to ten eight ounce servings is a normal amount. Drink more if you exercise regularly.