Take Care of Your Body With The Right Food: How To Do It

Take Care of Your Body

It's easy to get caught up in the rat race of life and forget to take care of your body. But eating right can make a huge difference; it will help you feel better every day, perform at your best, and even live longer. Here are some tips to help you take care of your body with the right food.

Know Your Allergy Triggers

To know your allergy triggers, you can keep a food journal. This is a great way to understand the connection between the food you eat and how it affects your body. I have a great portable journal here that you can carry with you every day to jot down what you eat and how you feel afterwards.

If this makes it too difficult for you to write down every little thing that goes into your mouth, try recording the time and duration of each meal or snack. You may be surprised by what causes an allergic reaction when you review your records at the end of the day.

Another way to know your allergy triggers is by using an elimination diet. Typically, you will remove some of the most common food allergens for a period of time, usually 30 days or more. After this, there will be a reintroduction period where you reintroduce one of the food allergens, then observe your body's response over a few days. If there are no reactions, then you can introduce another food allergen and observe again.

Elimination and reintroduction diets should always be conducted with supervision from a trained nutrition specialist such as myself. Contact me if you'd like more information or guidance about this before you begin.

Try Out New Recipes

There are many ways to cook new dishes, and they're all healthy choices that your body will appreciate. Make sure the recipes include lots of vegetables or fruit (or both). When you do this, you ensure that your meals contain a good amount of fiber which keeps things moving through your digestive system. 

You can also try out meals with lean protein sources, including fish, eggs, and poultry, like the white chicken chili recipe in a slow cooker. Make sure your choice of proteins are baked or grilled instead of fried, so you don't add lots of unnecessary fat to your diet. Another tip is to avoid processed meats like hot dogs and cold cuts because these often contain lots of fat and sodium. 

Check out this blog post for more new recipes to try!

Stock Your Fridge With Healthy Smoothies

Smoothies are a great way to pack your diet with fruits and vegetables. They help you stay hydrated as well as satisfied, without having to eat too many calories. When you have the right blend of ingredients in your smoothies, they are highly satiating aka they keep you fuller for longer! Smoothies are also easy to prepare, which is good news for busy people who don't have much time on their hands, especially in the mornings.

You can store smoothies in the fridge for about two days after you make them. If it's too difficult for you to drink all your smoothie within that time frame, you can store it in an airtight container and freeze it for later.

This is one of my favorite smoothies for the fall, my Pumpkin Pecan Smoothie.

Don't Eat Late Into the Night

After you finish your dinner, it's best to avoid eating for at least two hours before going to sleep. If you like watching TV or reading a book before bedtime, try keeping the lights dim and not using any bright screens that might trigger signals in the brain telling it's time for action.

Have Heavy Meals During the Day, Eat Light Foods at Night, Drink More Water During the Day

Aim to have heavier meals during the day so that your body has more time to process it and use the energy from that meal. Eat a light meal in the evening. Drink water all day to stay hydrated. Make sure that you are taking some snacks with you to the office or when you run errands, so that if hunger strikes, you have something healthy at hand.

There You Have It!

Here's how to take care of your body by choosing the right foods:

• Eat whole foods
• Avoid processed and fast food as much as possible
• Reduce sugar intake,
• Stay away from refined carbohydrates, such as white bread or pasta.
• Eat more vegetables, fruit and lean protein.

For more guidance on nutrition specifically for you, contact me for a 20 minute nutrition consultation. As a nutrition coach, I can help you find the foods that really work well for your body, and create a strategy to help you reach your wellness goals.

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