TINA'S TOP TEN NUTRITION HABITS FOR GOOD HEALTH
Once you’ve reviewed whether your current nutrition habits are working for you (see previous list), you might wonder where to begin to improve your eating habits to help you achieve those goals. Here are some additional guidelines for how to do that:
Ensure sufficient protein. On the lower end, aim for 1.2 g/kg if you are an omnivore, and 1.6 g/kg if you are a strict plant based eater. This ensures adequate support of muscle and bone health and goes a long way to improving satiety.
Ensure more of your carbs are whole grain products. Refined carbs have less nutrients and fiber than their whole grain counterparts. Start swapping carbs for whole food, whole grain alternatives more often.
Limit fats to 3-5 servings per day aiming for more omega-3’s. Most fats should come from mono and polyunsaturated sources. The best source of Omega-3s are oily fishes. Aim for 2-3 servings per week.
Eat your veggies! Veggies are a major source of micronutrients, fiber and hydration in your diet. Aim for a minimum of 5 servings per day. Note: 1 serving is roughly the size of your fist.
Limit snacks. Snacking may be necessary after a workout (add a protein source), or when the time between meals is greater than 4 hours. Requirements for snacks due to true hunger outside of these situations necessitates a look at the preceding meals for quality and quantity.
Avoid eating after dinner. There should ideally be 3 hours between your last meal and bedtime. If you are up late, see the next habit.
Go to bed earlier. This may be a surprising thing to put into a list of nutrition habits but studies have proven that people who are sleep deprived eat more calories (subconsciously) than those who are better rested. Since most of us have to get up to go to work, the best bet to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep is to move bedtime backward. Sleeping in on weekends contributes to an inability to fall asleep early during the workweek. Stick with the same sleep schedule 7 days a week barring occasional exceptions,
Eat out less often. Restaurant food is typically more calorie dense than wholesome home-cooked meals. When eating out, be aware of this and order less, or eat less and take the rest home.
Avoid ultraprocessed foods. This is stuff that is prepackaged, salted, sugary, oily and hard not to overeat. Anything that is convenient often falls in this category.
Eat on some semblance of a regular schedule. This will go a long way to help regulate what you eat (since people who eat regularly are more likely to have a planned meal, eat more slowly and less rushed) but also how much you eat since your appetite regulation will be better overall.
If, in reading this list, you feel more confused, you could likely benefit from a consultation with a registered dietician to help improve your knowledge of nutrition.