Five Great Nutrition Tips for Starting Off the New Year

Happy New Year! You’re one year older, thank goodness, and plenty wiser.  NOW is the time to grab hold of some healthy new mantras to make sure 2015 is your best year yet! This time, living healthy is going to be fun and enjoyable while you create habits to feel your best every day!

You are what you eat is a common phrase and you’re about 55% water.  We have some of the best water in the world, make sure you get yours!

·       Drink half your weight in water every day. 

Starches are a huge, fast energy source for our bodies and you store excess starches as fat so make sure that your dinners aren’t loaded with the starchy varieties including pastas and rice.  Try out fresh, seasonal vegetables instead of those heavy late night weight gainers!  The Farm House has a rotating dish of seasonal veggies called The Farm Plate and it is delicious. It contained squash, pumpkin and roasted cauliflower just to name a few and was a colorful, hearty plate of veggies.

·       Cut out starches in the evening

Don’t let all your hard work be sabotaged by fancy coffee and alcohol!  The calories abound in these drinks and most people refuse to see it.  Drinking can be a lot of fun but it may be denying you your weight loss!

·       Cut back on high calorie drinks

Feeling and looking your best quite often starts in the kitchen.  Create healthier recipes and stay away from processed foods and your sodium levels will drop.  Excess salt will keep you bloated and have negative effects on your health.  Eating out will also leave you puffy from salt but there are plenty of kale salads out there that are low in sodium, high in nutrition and super delicious.  My favorite is at Kayne Prime.  With finely chopped kale it is a light tasting, balanced salad with currants and almonds tossed in a light citrus dressing.

·       Cut back on your sodium

If you want to keep your energy level up, start cutting back the size of your meals.  By eating every three to four hours, you avoid that huge slowdown your body does as it works at digesting your food.  Try to mix in those lean proteins like fish and chicken balanced with healthy veggies and it will keep you fuller allowing you to eat smaller meals.  Processed foods high in sodium and sugar will never fulfill that craving, keeping you wanting more.

·       Watch your portion size