Nutrition tips for ANY age:

I was recently introduced to a brilliant little blog written by a gal and guy, Mark and Angel. They discuss all sorts of goodies, like '15 Ways To Live, Not Merely Exist' and '20 Things Life Is Too Short To Tolerate'. It's fabulous and you can get lost in their posts for hours.

Here is one of my personal favourites: '9 Timeless Nutrition Tips For Any Age'

1. Limit junk food or don’t eat it at all. – Replace junk food with healthy snacks. Think of food as nutrition, not entertainment or emotional fodder.

2. Go on a healthy food shopping spree. – Buy items that are healthy and appealing.  Fill your cupboards, pantry and fridge with healthy foods so you will not feel like your kitchen is empty.

3. Limit eating out. – Restaurant food has high amounts of sodium, sugar and fat.  Spend more time with family or friends cooking together, or enjoy cooking for yourself.

4. Visit a farmer’s market. – Most of the produce will be freshly picked, and taste heavenly compared to the refrigerated and thawed produce we get at grocery stores. 

5. Cut out the white stuff. – Sugar has zero nutrition.  Cut out high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners, too.  Sugar is linked to the growing obesity epidemic in the US and the rising rates of diabetes.  It is also linked to heart disease, which remains the number one killer of people in the US.  Use natural sweeteners in baking like raw honey, dates or molasses, which retains high amounts of nutrients.

6. Exercise.  – No level of nutrition can make up the difference for lack of exercise.  Walking counts, as does taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Aim for 10,000 steps per day!

7. Eat at a table. – If we eat while we’re working, or while watching TV or driving, we eat mindlessly, and as a result eat a lot more than we would if we were eating at a table, paying attention to what we’re doing. 

8. Eat smaller portions by buying smaller plates. –  According to Brian Wansink, author ofMindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think, in a study focused on size illusions, “People with a large bowl and a three-ounce scoop dished out 57 percent more ice cream than those given a smaller bowl and smaller scoop.”

9. Cut out ‘beverages’ and drink water. – Water is free, whereas most beverages come with a price – a health price and a financial price.  One popular 12-ounce soda boasts a whopping 150 calories, and it offers no nutrition.  

These are super smart suggestions! Pick one or two and make them habits. Start small and manageable. Remember DIETS and FADS always fail. LIFESTYLE CHOICES are forever.