Seven Nutrition Strategies for Boosting Your Health

Healthy eating isn’t rocket science. Just follow Mom’s advice, eating your peas and beets and
slugging your milk, right? Unfortunately, though, for many people, eating healthier is as
challenging as starting an exercise program. So how can you improve your nutritional habits?

If there is one nutritional no-no that takes the cake, skipping meals might be it. Not only are you
missing out on nutrients that will help prevent chronic diseases, they may also suffer more
immediate consequences, like not having energy (which then threatens their ability to exercise)
and having a weakened immune system, which will make them more susceptible to colds and the
flu.
Studies also show that people who skip meals tend to overeat at later meals, especially if they’re
giving breakfast the brush-off. “Eating breakfast helps you avoid excessive hunger—and
overeating—later in the day,” says J. Graham Thomas, Ph.D., co-investigator of the National
Weight Control Registry.

Protein isn’t just the building block of muscles; it’s also a dieter’s friend. Protein keeps you
satisfied. “Compared to carbohydrates, which take about two hours to digest, protein takes about
four hours, making you feel fuller for longer periods of time,” says Heather Bauer, R.D., founder
of Nu-Train, a diet and nutritional counseling center in New York City.
While protein at every meal is critical, including it at breakfast is especially important. “Eating
protein at breakfast not only helps you lose weight, I’ve found that it also prevents mood
swings,” Bauer says.
Sample Equivalents of
1 Ounce of Protein
 1 tablespoon peanut or almond butter
 2 tablespoons hummus
  ¼ cup cooked beans
 1 ounce cooked fish or lean beef (about ¼ the size of a deck of cards)
 one egg
 ¼ cup (about 2 ounces) tofu
Good protein sources include fish, turkey, chicken, egg whites, nonfat yogurt and lean beef.
How much protein should clients be eating? In general, women ages 19 to 30 should eat 5.5-
ounce equivalents of protein daily, while women 31 and older should be consuming 5 ounces per
day. Men ages 19 to 30 have slightly higher protein requirements and should be eating 6.5-ounce
equivalents a day, while men 31 to 50 should eat 6-ounce equivalents daily. Men ages 51 years
and older are advised to eat 5.5-ounce equivalents daily, although it should be noted that all of
these recommended amounts could change, depending on the activity level of the individual.

Fruits and veggies are crucial for good health, especially because they may help ward off certain
chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, some cancers, stroke, cardiovascular disease and
hypertension, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They’re also low in
calories and loaded with fiber, which can help your clients lose and manage weight. High
amounts of fruits and vegetables in place of other foods can help people slim down.
How much your clients need depends on their gender and age. All men regardless of age should
eat two cups of fruit a day; in the veggie department, men ages 19 to 50 need three cups daily
and men 51 and older need 2.5 cups daily. Women, on the other hand, need 2.5 cups of
vegetables and 2.5 cups of fruits daily if they’re 19 to 50 years old; women 51 and older should
eat two cups of vegetables and two cups of fruits a day
Of course, counting cups can get confusing, which is why the government has a simple solution:
Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables.
Processed foods are often low in fiber, and it’s fiber that satisfies you and slows digestion.
Processed foods are also created to appeal to the taste buds, which is why they’re usually loaded
with added fats, sugars and salt. This isn’t to say that all processed foods are bad or that there’s
not a place for them from time to time. For instance, pre-packaged and frozen fruits and
vegetables (sans sauces) can be a healthy addition to any kitchen pantry. Even foods like fruit-
and-nut bars can play a role in the diet, especially if you travel and need to fuel up. You don’t
need to ban [all] processed foods, but you should eat less of them, especially those that are
calorie-dense, and [instead] focus more on whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains,
beans, healthy fish and low-fat dairy.

With the advent of the Atkins Diet and other carb-restricting diets, carbohydrates became the evil
nutrient. Yet if you have clients who are cutting carbs from their diet, you need to give them this
basic nutrition lesson: “Carbohydrates keep you full, stabilize blood sugar levels and provide
valuable nutrients,” Bauer says. Carbohydrates also fuel the body, which is crucial if your clients
want to exercise regularly.
Trouble is, many people either think all carbohydrates are evil so they cut them from their diet or
they make unhealthy carb choices. To help her clients counter this confusion, Bauer lumps
carbohydrates into two categories: “Devil Carbs” (like white bread, white pasta, bagels, muffins,
scones, candy, chips, popcorn, bread from the bread basket, pizza, ice cream, brownies, cake and
Danish pastries) and “Angel Carbs,” which include brown rice, quinoa, baked sweet or white
potatoes and whole-wheat breads. She advises avoiding Devil Carbs—“they spike your blood
sugar, and when you crash, you feel tired and hungry,” she says—and choosing Angel Carbs as
much as possible.

Added sugars, which are different from naturally occurring sugars in foods like fruits and milk,
are found in regular soft drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, candy, cakes, cookies, pies,
pastries, donuts, fruit drinks and ice cream.
So what’s the danger? According to the American Heart Association, added sugars not only
contain zero nutrients, the added calories can also pack on the pounds, which could lead to
obesity and decreased heart health. “Those added sugars increase blood sugar levels, insulin
production and fat storage, all of which are dangerous to your health,” Harpaz says.
Following a diet based on whole foods will also naturally help reduce added sugars. Another
crucial key to reducing sugar intake? “Eliminate all beverages that are contributing calories to
the diet, especially sodas and sugar-laden coffee drinks,” Bauer says, adding that water is still the
best beverage choice.
You also need to make clients aware that they need to read labels and get savvy about spotting
hidden sugars, which can appear under other names, Harpaz says. Some of the most common
offenders are corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, maltrose, dextrose, sucrose, honey, fruit juice
concentrate and maple syrup.

Eating out has become an American way of life. Yet if your clients want a simple way to
improve their health, including keeping their weight in check, eating out less frequently should
do the trick.
That people are consuming more calories when eating out doesn’t surprise Thomas. “Restaurants
are businesses, and their goal is to create repeat business,” he says. “To do that, they make their
foods as delicious as possible by adding high levels of sugar, fat and salt, all of which might
improve taste, but will have consequences on health.”
Even more problematic are portion sizes, which have been on the rise over the last few decades.
Portion sizes in most restaurants are too large for a single meal—one study found that although
76 percent of chefs thought they served regular portions, they were actually serving portions of
steak and pasta that were two to four times bigger than servings recommended by the
government—and unless your clients are asking for doggie bags, they’ll wind up consuming too
many calories, Thomas says.
As if that’s not bad enough, restaurants use subtle ways to encourage overeating. Variety is one.
“The greater the variety of foods available, the greater the chance of overeating,” Thomas says.
Lighting, music and the overall ambiance can also influence eating behaviors.
Bottom line: By eating at home more frequently, your clients will avoid these diet disasters and
may save a little money on food—and gas!—in the long run.
____________________________________________________________________
 Karen Asp is a freelance journalist, ACE-certified Fitness Professional, a
contributing editor for Woman’s Day and the Fit Travel columnist for AOL. She also writes
regularly for numerous other publications, including Self, Fitness, Women’s Health, Better
Homes and Gardens, Real Simple, Prevention, Runner’s World, Redbook and Men’s Fitness.