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Top 10 Nutrition Tips List for the New Year



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By: APRIL UNGERBUEHLER, MTMC dietitian
Posted: Sunday, January 3, 2010 8:34 am
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1. Get real. To ensure success in the New Year, make your health goals realistic and achievable. Setting unrealistic goals promotes failure and in turn, guilt, when unable to stick to them. Instead of focusing on a long-term weight loss goal of 20 pounds, seek a more realistic and achievable goal of 1 – 2 pounds each week. The positive reinforcement of a goal met consistently will provide motivation to continue until your long term goal is met.

2. Yes you can! Establishing a support system whether it be a spouse or friend, individual or group, can provide you with the encouragement and perseverance to see your goals through.

3. Seek consistency, not perfection. Who are we kidding? No matter how hard we try, we will never be perfect at anything. But we can be consistent with our efforts to improve our health. Don’t let one moment of weakness derail your efforts. Dust yourself off and get right back on that weight loss wagon.

4. Identify YOUR eating cues. There are many reasons why we eat and very little of them have to do with actual physical hunger. Maybe the environment you are in initiates your emotional eating. Maybe you eat out of habit. Many of our traditional celebrations are connected to eating and food. Stress, depression, boredom, even feelings of joy can trigger us to eat. By identifying your environmental and emotional cues, you can eliminate non-hunger eating from your routine.

5. Focus on being fit. Let’s face it. We were not all born to be a size 3. So why not make this the year that you celebrate YOU – a fit, more healthy YOU. Regardless of what your clothing tag says, it is possible for you to achieve a weight that is optimal, healthy, and individualized just for you! Contact Middle Tennessee Medical Center’s outpatient Registered Dietitian for a plan that is just right for you – 615-396-4859.

6. Is the glass half full or half empty … Hydrate. Water is frequently overlooked as being necessary to a healthful lifestyle. Many times dehydration is misinterpreted as hunger. By drinking adequate fluids not only will you feel better, but you may find you eat less at meal times.

7. Buy a pedometer. This national challenge encourages us to get out and get moving to increase our steps by 10,000 every day! By burning 300 calories a day and eating 200 less calories a day you can create enough of a deficit to promote 1 pound of weight loss per week! So park further from the door or take the stairs at work to walk your way to a healthier, fit YOU! Check out http://health.discovery.com/national-body-challenge/about.html for more information.

8. Bigger is not always better. Remember the money you may save ordering larger portions may cost you in pounds later. Over the last 20 years, the average total daily caloric intake has risen from 1,854 calories to 2,002 calories. Translate that into pounds and you could gain up to 15 pounds a year!

9. Vitamin D. Not only does vitamin D help our bodies absorb calcium for bone health, but it may help prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancer. Vitamin D deficiency seems to be a widespread problem these days. Thanks to our decreased intakes of vitamin D fortified foods, such as milk, and our use of SPF sunscreens, even young healthy active individuals are at risk for vitamin D deficiency.

10. Variety is the key to health. What do you see when you look at your plate? The typical American diet consists of brown and white foods – carbohydrates and protein. Add color and you add nutrients! By adding colorful low calorie, high fiber fruits and veggies to your meals, you fill up on vitamins and minerals and feel full longer without adding a lot of empty calories.

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Tags: New Year's, Top 10
Member Opinions:
By: judytn41 on 1/3/10
This is such a good article that April has written. As farmers with a CSA program (Community Supported Agriculture), we especially liked the last paragraph about choosing colorful foods in your diet! The more color the better!Color in Vegetables, but also in such things as Blueberries, Strawberries,Peaches, Blackberries, Melons -what could be prettier, more colorful,more delicious, or better for you! Do include lots of these when in season. When out of season, they offer little in terms of flavor or nutrition. Become a fan of our farm on Facebook and follow our Farm's blog on blogger.com. I am posting this article on both for our followers to enjoy. Judy McGary, Doe Run Farm, Lincoln Co. Tn. http://www.doerunfarmtn.com


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