We shouldn’t wait for a particular month of the year to focus on our diet. Eating well should be a daily concern. Be careful, concern is not synonymous with obsession! Counting calories one by one, putting a definitive cross on chocolate or chips, is perhaps a bit excessive. Remember, that you have the right to treat yourself with anything, as long as it’s in the right amount. Aim for caloric balance at the end of the week.
To mark March as Nutrition Month, we thought we’d give you a quick 6-point reminder of what to keep in mind on a daily basis when it comes to nutrition, based on federal government studies and recommendations.
1- Vary your food every day; the body needs everything, so make sure you eat as many vegetables, fruits, whole grains, proteins (legumes, eggs, milk, tofu, fish, poultry, yogurt) as possible.
2- Enjoy your food; take your time. The brain needs time to receive signals from the stomach that you are eating. It takes at least 20 minutes to feel full.
3- Prepare your meals; it is really best to cook your meals at home from untransformed food. They will naturally be healthier.
4- Make water your first-choice beverage; replace 100% fruit juice, fruit-flavored drinks, soft drinks and other sugary drinks with water. Water is your ally!
5- Beware of advertisments; marketing is meant to be catchy, but often promotes sales of highly processed foods.
6- Read product labels; they provide information (sugar, salt, number of calories…) that you can use to make informed choices on food and drink at the grocery store.
By Roger Lemay