As we near this weekend, I'm sure many of you are planning your menu for the big game on Sunday night. Amid the delicious dishes you might choose, there is one ingredient you should be sure to include: avocados. Why? Avocados are packed with nutrients that are especially important for football fans....
Lutein
Lutein is an antioxidant that may help maintain eye health as we age. This antioxidant helps protect and maintain healthy cells inside the eye. One ounce of avocado contains 81 micrograms of lutein! Keep your eyes sharp during the game by getting your daily lutein!
As a mom of two little kids, the tactics I use to make healthy eating happen on a daily basis from week to week are somewhat different from what I did when I was single with no kiddos around. There is no doubt a added level of difficulty to eating healthy when you have more than yourself to worry about. Here are 3 tips to keep your meals and snacks healthy this year:
1. Plan ahead
It is no secret that planning ahead is the key to eating healthy. It doesn't have to be a long, drawn out, scheduled event each week (though it can be). I do my best meal planning when I am driving between home and the office. Often the hardest part about planning is just remembering to do it. If you are new to meal planning, set alarms or alerts on your phone, make post-it note reminders or schedule time in your phone calendar to get the planning done. If you plan to do it once a week, do it the same day and time every week. Pick 2-3 proteins, 2-3 grains and 4-5 vegetable/fruit options you need to purchase and possibly prep that day for the entire week (the actual number will depend on the size of your family). If you plan to plan and prep daily, this is only possible if you have meal components at home that you can quickly throw together to make meals. Personally, I do a bit of both daily and weekly planning. I do weekly planning when I make my grocery list and I do daily planning each morning for dinner that night.
As we enter 2015, I'd like to help you get started on the right foot. In my office, there is no shortage of excuses for not following nutrition recommendations. While I work exclusively with athletes, these excuses can be heard from just about everyone trying to make healthier choices toward bigger goals. So it's time to "name it, claim it and tame it"...it is a new year, after all.
1. I like to sleep.
This is most often used an excuse for not eating breakfast or not eating a post-workout snack after late night training. I like to sleep too - who doesn't? However, it is about priorities. While getting 7-9 hours of sleep on average is a must, so is fueling your body correctly. Re-evaluate where your time is spent. Is there a reason you need to watch 3 hours of television at night? Do you really need to stay on social media until midnight? Its time to unplug early and go to sleep...or stop hitting snooze in the morning. Make a commitment to eating when your body needs you to.
We are eight days into the New Year, which means resolutions are running full speed ahead. Here were 2014's top three New Year's Resolutions: 1) Lose weight 2) Get organized 3) Spend less, save more. Sadly, only 8% of Americans are successful in meeting their resolutions each year. To get into that 8%, here are some tips when crafting and living out your nutrition-related resolutions.
1. Keep it simple
When it comes to nutrition, avoid fad diets or extreme dieting measures, such as cutting out entire foods groups or excessive record-keeping of every calorie consumed. This typically works for about 3 weeks, causes extreme stress and is quickly abandoned. Instead, keep it simple. Try writing three basic "eating guidelines" for yourself. Here are a few examples:
-Eat a fruit or veggie 5 different times each day
-Buy only nonfat dairy foods
-Drink alcohol only 2 times each week with 1-2 drinks each time
Goals such as this are easier to achieve and not overly restrictive.
