37 Nutrition Tips

Here are 37 Nutrition Tips from the Ladies at Naturally Savvy.

We could go through these one at a time, but I suggest you print these out and first cross out all of the ones that you already have mastered. Then choose one or two that you are ready to adopt. Work on those one or two items until they are a natural part of your eating habits. When you have mastered those, choose another and then continue on through the list until you are living by a majority of the tips on this list. Remember that small changes add up to big improvements.

Nutrition Quick Tips
Drinking fluids with meals interferes with digestion by diluting stomach acids. Drink half an hour before or one hour after eating instead. Avoid drinking cold fluids close to meals as it stops production of stomach acids for about one hour!
Eating spicy foods can help to increase your metabolism (calorie burning) for up to three hours! Garnish foods with savory Dijon mustard, cayenne pepper, chili peppers, hot salsa, and horseradish for an easy and tasty boost.
The average person consumes 125 pounds of refined sugar every year. That’s one third of a pound a day! A can of pop contains between 9 to 12 teaspoons of sugar. Sugar that is not used up (burned off by physical activity) turns to fat. Replace simple carbohydrates with nutritious whole grains, high fiber foods and fruit. Instead of a soft drink, drink water with lemon or dilute fruit juice with water.
Healthier alternatives to white sugar include date sugar, Sucanat (dehydrated sugar cane), raw honey, agave syrup, and pure maple syrup. These alternatives provide minerals not found in white or brown sugar. However, they can still cause a rise in blood sugar levels so consume them in moderation. For a calorie-free substitute, try stevia (available from health food stores). Stevia is very sweet and has no effect on blood sugar levels.
Be weary of fancy coffees that pack over 300 calories and up to 35 grams of fat! Ask for low-fat milk instead of cream for your cappuccino’s, mochaccino’s and latte’s. For a low fat alternative, enjoy antioxidant-rich green tea or energizing liquid chlorophyll in your drinking water.
Quiet time is precious and necessary. Meditation simply means taking a few minutes to quiet the mind and pay attention to breathing. Benefits include expanded awareness, increased focus and concentration and reduced stress levels. When practiced regularly, meditation can help to lower blood pressure and slow the aging process.
Taking digestive enzymes with large meals can help to improve digestion and enhance the absorption of nutrients from your food. Regular use of enzymes can promote weight loss and good health. Look for a full-spectrum enzyme with amylase, lipase and protease.
Raw vegetables and fruit supply important vitamins and energizing enzymes. Eat at least one raw vegetable or fruit at each meal or between meals as a snack.
For a salad dressing rich in healthy omega-fats, mash an avocado, add a couple of tablespoons of water and season with fresh lemon juice. Or for a zesty salad dressing, squeeze fresh lemon or lime over a salad and top with cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil. Lemon and lime juice are rich in enzymes and vitamin C and virtually calorie-free.
For a good nights sleep, eat yogurt before retiring for the night. It’s rich in the amino acid tryptophan which helps calm your mind and calcium which relaxes muscles.
When eating at a restaurant, it may be wiser to choose quality over quantity of food. If your choices are between a lower-fat but also low-in-nutrients meal (such as pasta with tomato sauce: app. 300 calories, 3.5 g fat) or a meal that is higher in fat but provides more nutrients (grilled salmon with steamed vegetables: app. 300 calories, 12 g fat) you are better off choosing quality over quantity because your body will use the nutrients in the salmon and vegetables as building blocks while the carbohydrates in the pasta may store as body fat!
There are many varieties of grains to choose from besides wheat. To improve digestion, elimination, and increase vitamin intake - try breads and pasta made from spelt, kamut, buckwheat, and millet.
Aspartame, an artificial sweetener, can be dangerous if consumed regularly and may produce a wide variety of physical and mental symptoms. One of its ingredients, methanol, can cause headaches, dizziness, depression, nausea, numbness, and blurred vision and before your body can eliminate it, it is converted to formaldehyde (a preservative). Replace your sweetener with stevia (a natural, healthy alternative), agave, raw honey or real organic sugar.
Jump-start your day with a fresh fruit & yogurt smoothie. The fruits provide vitamins and enzymes and the plain yogurt offers protein to control blood sugar levels. If you can’t tolerate dairy, use soy milk, rice milk or almond milk instead. For extra fiber, add some ground flax seeds.
Next time you’re craving a hamburger, have a grilled portobello mushroom sandwich. It tastes like steak and has a thick, meaty texture but only a trace of fat and no cholesterol!
Every healthy diet around the world is based on complex carbohydrates. Diets that restrict them tend to be high in fat and cholesterol and low in vegetables and fruit. These diets can be dangerous because they may stress the kidneys and contribute to heart disease and high blood pressure over time. For optimal health, ensure your diet contains a balance of carbohydrates such as fruit, vegetables and whole grains, lean proteins and essential fatty acids such as fish and fish oils.
Instead of using food as a treat, go shopping or enroll in an enjoyable activity such as belly dancing, golf lessons or salsa classes.
If you like to nibble at night out of boredom, take up a hobby that keeps your hands busy: make a puzzle or knit a sweater.
When blood sugar levels drop, symptoms of irritability, confusion, headaches, dizziness and unclear thinking may occur. Replace all “white” starchy foods and sugary snacks with whole grains and add protein to each meal to stabilize blood sugar levels.
A pot belly (fat around the midsection but nowhere else) can be a sign of poor sugar metabolism or high cortisol levels. Try eating mainly protein foods (lean meats, fish, beans), a lot of vegetables and avoid sugar and starch for a few weeks to determine whether this is the case for you.
We truly are “fat heads”. The brain is made up of more than 60% fat. Low-fat diets deprive the brain of vital nutrients. Poor memory and symptoms of depression can be due to a deficiency of omega-3 and omega-6 fats. Increase consumption of fish, avocadoes, raw nuts and seeds, Omega-3 eggs and use fish oil regularly to nourish this most-important organ!
To add physical activity to your daily routine, find an exercise pal in your neighborhood. Go for after-dinner walks, play tennis or join a fitness club together. Subscribe to a fitness magazine for additional motivation.
It takes 20 minutes for your brain to realize you’re no longer hungry. Chew each bite thoroughly until it’s dissolved to prevent overeating. This will also aid digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Follow the 80:20 rule for eating. Eat as well as you can 80% of the time, and enjoy “fun foods” 20% of the time. Food is for nourishment but is also meant to be enjoyed!
Eating breakfast helps to jump-start your metabolism. If you aren’t hungry in the morning, have a piece of fruit, a smoothie, or some juice.
Instead of eating ice cream (rich in fats and cholesterol), freeze two bananas and mash them together with a tablespoon of vanilla protein powder and a tablespoon of raisins. Refreeze and enjoy!
Rather than using regular bread to make a sandwich, try using whole wheat pita or tortilla wraps instead. These options are much lower in carbohydrates, yeast and calories.
If you crave dessert after dinner, try adding something sweet (naturally sweet, of course!) to your meal. Add fresh fruit pieces to a salad, pineapple to chicken and currants into rice, couscous, quinoa or millet.
Instead of eating bread made with flour, try those made with sprouted wheat. Wheat berries are soaked, sprouted, ground and baked at a low temperature therefore preserving its enzymes and nutrients. Many people with wheat allergies are able to tolerate this low-gluten alternative. Sprouted breads may be found in the freezer section of health food stores, specialty shops and most grocery stores.
Next time you’re invited to friend’s house for dinner, offer to bring a dish or dessert that is rich in nutrients and low in fat. Bean salads are a big hit as are cakes made with whole-grain flour and topped with fresh berries. Be sure to make a copy of the recipe for your host!
When grocery shopping, fill your cart with items from the periphery of the store – vegetables, fruit, fish, and fresh whole grain breads. Limit the number of processed packaged foods to all-natural or organic peanut butter, beans, and high fiber grains and cereals.
Always keep healthy snacks and bottled water in your car, purse, or office. This will prevent you from munching on starchy or sugary snacks while preparing lunch or dinner.
If you are having salad as your main course, opt to add a protein instead of a starch. Rather than bread or pita wedges, add tuna, chicken, beans, avocado and/or walnuts.
Healthy foods are now more convenient than ever. Buy pre-washed bags of mixed greens for quick salads. Grocery stores offer roasted whole chicken and soup & salad bars for side dishes. Raw nuts and seed bars make quick nutritious snacks.
Traditional recipes native to your country can be made healthier by replacing a few key ingredients. Bake rather than fry, use olive or coconut oil instead of butter, mix ground beef with texturized vegetable protein (TVP) or ground turkey, use brown or wild rice in place of white.
For a vegetarian version of your favorite “cream” soup, substitute cream or milk with pureed boiled potatoes, rice or soy milk. This substitution will add nutrients and help to save calories from fat and cholesterol.
Use “aging” (browned) fruit to make quick and healthy desserts. Freeze grapes (pulled from the stems) overnight and thaw for 5 minutes before eating. Blend strawberries with maple syrup for a yummy pancake, crepe or waffle syrup. You can also use them in protein shakes.

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There is a lot of great information here so remember to print it out, read it and choose one you are ready to tackle. Then work on it until it's a natural part of your life.

Your friend in fitness,

Kelli