Most people today know that to improve the way their body looks, feels, and performs, they need to watch what they eat as well as how much they eat. But what exactly are the rules of good nutrition? What does one have to do to help their body achieve optimal health? Below is a list of rules, as suggested by the faculty of Healing Hands School of Holistic Health (HHSHH).
Top Rules for Nutrition
Eat ever 3-4 hours throughout your day.
Forget about the 3 meals a day rule we learned as kids. Today’s nutritionists suggest we eat every 2-3 hours to keep our metabolisms burning and give our bodies the fuel needed to stay mentally sharp and energized throughout your day.
Eat vegetables every time you eat.
Keeping read-to-eat veggies at your finger-tips can go a long way to helping you cut calories and maintain a healthy weight. Try filling a Tupperware container with strips of cucumbers, carrots, celery, red/green/orange bell pepper, tomatoes, avocados, and zucchini. Dip them in olive oil or a Hummus dips such as spicy red pepper or lemon garlic for a tasty treat!
Eat complete, lean protein every time you eat.
No exceptions! So, listen up vegetarians, because you’ll need to find non-animal sources such as beans, legumes, or tofu for every meal or snack you consume.
Avoid “simple” carbohydrates.
While nutritionists will encourage you to eat fruits and veggies whenever you want, simple sugars like white rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, should be kept to a minimum and eaten only after exercise, when your body can best tolerate it. Acknowledge the relationship between heavily processed grains and heart disease, diabetes and cancer and avoid these conditions, by avoiding simple carbohydrates.
Choose healthy fats.
There are 3 types of fat – saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Eating all three kinds of fat (saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated) in a healthy balance of equal parts can substantially improve your health, and may even help you lose fat. Choose saturated fats from animal products, polyunsaturated fat from mixed nuts, and fish oils, and monounsaturated fats from nuts, olives, and nut & olive oils.
Give up Sodas and other sugary drinks!
Research to evaluate the link between the intake of sweet beverages (juices and nectars, sugar-sweetened soft drinks, and artificially sweetened soft drinks) and type 2 diabetes suggests that just 1 Can of soda a day ups one’s Diabetes risk by one fifth or 20%. Avoid these risks by choosing calorie-free liquids such as Water or Green Tea.
(Research Citation: Dora Romaguera, PhD, from the School of Public Health, Imperial College London, United Kingdom, and colleagues published findings are online in Diabetologia April 24.)
Focus on whole foods.
The majority of your dietary intake should come from whole, unprocessed foods like whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables.
Take a Diet Day Off!
If you’re able to do the hard work of sticking to the above dietary rules all week long, allow yourself a “Diet Day Off” when you allow yourself a few “special treats” to reward yourself for a job well done!
Try New Foods Regularly!
Like anything in life, the same old, same old can get pretty boring. Don’t allow yourself to get into a food funk by incorporating a healthy new recipe into your weekly dinner mix at least twice a month. Doing so can keep both your taste buds and need for adventure satisfied! You can find healthy and nutritious meal recipes online at www.HealingHandsSchool.com/News/nutrition-recipes.
Healing Hands School of Holistic Health (HHSHH) has been serving residents from two campuses (Escondido and Laguna Hills) for over 24 years. Considered a trail-blazer in Holistic Health education in Southern California, HHSHH offers over 80 Massage and Holistic Health classes plus two Certification Programs. To date, our top-notch Instructors have prepared more than 6,500 students for rewarding careers as Massage Therapists and Holistic Health Practitioners and can do the same for you. To find out if a career in Massage Therapy may be right for you, please visit us at www.HealingHandsSchool.com or call us at (949) 305-2722 in Laguna Hills or (760) 746-9364 in Escondido.