Nutrition 101: Back to Basics

As March is National Nutrition Month, a perfect time to brush up on some basic nutrition education.  We can lose sight of the important elements of healthy nutrition when we get caught up in the latest diets or superfoods.  There are many nutrition terms we hear about daily, we know they’re good for us but don't know why or how to work them into our diet.  Here’s a little refresher course on some nutrition basics that can improve your health in multiple ways.

• Macronutrients- You may be more familiar with protein, carbohydrates and fats, these are macronutrients.  All three of these macronutrients are important parts of a healthy diet.  Over the years, many popular diet plans have been tweaking or eliminating the percentages of proteins, carbohydrates and fats toward the main purpose of losing weight.  The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends protein as 10-30% of total calories, carbohydrates as 45-65% of total calories and fat as 25-35% of total calories.  Examples of protein are meat, seafood, dairy, eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds - try to have lean protein or plant-based proteins.  Foods high in carbohydrates are grains, breads, cereals and fruit - try to have whole grains whenever possible.  Sources of fat are found in meat, seafood, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils - try to have more healthy fats from seafood, olive oil, nuts and seeds.


• Vitamins- It’s an alphabet soup of vitamin names but there’s more than what’s in that daily multivitamin.  Many vitamins that our body require and take in from foods have yet to be discovered and work together; synergistically.  This creates a difficult task for manufacturers to put nutrients into a pill, or food supplement, that's why eating a variety of foods is the best nutrition.  To do this eat a varied diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and protein.  These whole foods contain the full complement of vitamins that our bodies need.  A multivitamin may be recommended for those who have a difficulty with eating a varied whole foods diet, have specific health conditions or deficiencies.


• Minerals- There are so many minerals that our bodies need.  Various minerals are needed for our bones (calcium, magnesium and boron to name a few), blood and normal cellular function.  Additionally important for making enzymes and hormones.  Eating a varied diet of vegetables, eggs and dairy can improve you intake of important minerals.  Although sometimes a mineral supplement is recommended for those on special diets, with specific health problems or due to interactions with medications.


• Cholesterol– Pre-formed cholesterol occurs in food such as meat and eggs, and there’s the bad cholesterol (LDL) that the body manufactures, mainly from saturated fat.  The latter is the worst for heart disease and other chronic diseases.  First and foremost reduce saturated fat in the diet.  Foods that are high in saturated fat: fatty cuts of beef, full-fat dairy (cheese, ice cream), any meat-based product that is high in fat and tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil.


• Essential Fats– The healthy fats that we need in our diet.  Our bodies cannot make these fats, thus why they are “essential."  The fats that get the most attention are omega-3’s, they have many anti-inflammatory and healing properties.  These fats can lower risk of heart disease, cancer, reduce joint pain, allergy symptoms and improve emotional health.  Good sources of omega-3’s are walnuts, almonds, flaxseed, chia seed and fish; especially salmon.


• Antioxidants–These prevent oxidation and quench free radicals which can damage healthy cells.  Cumulative oxidative damage has been implicated in aging, heart disease, cancer, macular degeneration and other health issues.  Antioxidants are nutrients such as beta-carotene, vitamins A, C, and E, lutein, lycopene and quercetin.  Foods high in antioxidants are colorful fruits and vegetables, and whole grains.

Happy National Nutrition Month!  Eat well, get back to basics - eat whole foods as nature has provided.

Here are few reasons to see a nutritionist/personal trainer/health coach: relieve tension & stress in the body, properly train or progress in an activity, improve your microbiome, assess nutrient intake, disease prevention through evidence-based diet, and exercise, maximize exercise performance, improve sleep quality, enhance mental clarity, optimize digestion and nutrient absorption, establish long-term healthy habits, meal planning for a whole foods diet and eat in a way to sustain the planet.  Please consider Sheri for nutrition counseling and/or fitness appointments to help you develop a healthier lifestyle for you and the planet. 

Free introductory 15-minute appointments are also available.