Nutrition

Healthy eating has been identified by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention as an effective method of reducing the risk for many diseases, including several of the leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. Therefore, good nutrition and educating the communities we serve on healthy eating habits is important to us. We enhance your quality of life and promote health and well-being through our expert nutritional counseling and food products.

Getting started

Creating a new diet can be a daunting task. Information about nutrition you find online can be misleading and contradictory. Furthermore, none of these online or fad diets know about your health history or current diet. It can be dangerous starting a new diet without talking to your healthcare provider. You need a diet customized to meet your unique tastes, address health concerns, and provide the nutrients your body needs.

If you want to start eating healthier right away, keep these basic guidelines in mind even before you start building a custom diet with a nutritionist:

• Eat at least two cups of fruit and two to three cups of vegetables every day
• Don’t stick to just one vegetable; incorporate a variety into your diet so you can get all the vitamins you need
• Cut back on “bad” cholesterol foods like red meat
• Limit your sugar intake, particularly sugary beverages like soda and juice
• Watch your salt intake; salt is where you get sodium, an excess of which can cause high blood pressure and heart disease
• Eat more fish, such as salmon, tuna and trout. Fish is filled with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins such as D and B2, calcium and important minerals.
• Cook with extra virgin olive oil instead of butter

Start looking at nutritional labels while you’re at the grocery store. Many people are surprised to discover how much sodium and how many calories and cholesterol they consume per day. Picking the healthier options when grocery shopping is a great way to get started on your journey toward better health.