eating for wellness

EATING FOR WELLNESSThe Truth…

Eating for Wellness: The Truth• What is wellness?

• “An optimal state of health. It concerns a person’s individual health physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually and also their role in society….” -World Health Organization

• In the U.S., the majority of people rate the physical component as most important• They also rate WILLPOWER as the #1 barrier (vs time or external factors)

Eating for Wellness: The Truth• “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”

• –Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, 1859

• The worst….1) People worldwide rate OBESITY as the #1 threat to wellness and 2) People worldwide rate the ECONOMY is the #1 BARRIER to wellness

• The best….1) 86% of people believe they have the power to change their own level of wellness and 2) recent research suggests adopting ONE healthy habit (vs drowning in multiple changes) can have a positive effect on multiple areas

Eating for Wellness: Topics on the Truth

• Who? Who “eats for wellness”? • What? What is “eating for wellness”?• Where? Where can you “eat for wellness”?• When? When can you start “eating for wellness”?

• How? How do you “eat for wellness”? (The focus for today)

Who “eats for wellness”? • Anyone can! I encourage it!• Nutrition can do many things… here are a few:• Manage disease• Prevent disease• Improve physical symptoms• Improve mental clarity & stabilize mood• Improve athletic performance and work performance by

improving energy levels and mental clarity• Improve quality of sleep• Improve fertility, health of fetus/baby, & milk production after

birth

What is “eating for wellness”?

• Most simply: Eating more of the “good stuff” and less of “not-so-good” stuff!• It can be overwhelming! What is good and what is “not-so-good”?• This could be an entire day’s seminar! • You’ve probably heard! The Standard American Diet (SAD!) is high in processed foods, meat, & dairy.

The SAD diet needs some work!

What is “eating for wellness”?

• More of the “good stuff” and less of “not-so-good” stuff:• Most people need more: fruits & vegetables (fresh & frozen

better than canned), leaner meats in smaller portions (and free range, organic, hormone-free is best), more whole grains & high fiber foods (quinoa, oats, spelt, amaranth, lentils, beans, whole wheat- in some cases),

• And less high fat/high sugar dairy (ice cream, cheese), less processed/refined carbs (sugary beverages, cereals, candy, white breads & pastas, etc), high fat meats

• Just a little overwhelming, right??! More details to come….

Where can you “eat for wellness”

• Easier in your own home= more control

• Many restaurants & cafes are offering healthier choices these days• Another topic for future discussion: eating away from home!

When can you start “eating for wellness”?• At anytime! • The sooner you start some positive changes, the sooner you’ll have positive effects!

How do you “eat for wellness”? • Let’s take a virtual trip around the grocery store for a few

helpful tips!

First stop, the produce department

How do you “eat for wellness”?

•Produce Tips: • Choose to eat all the colors of the rainbow

• Each color has special properties that do different things in your body

• Try a new item each time you go to the store…vary away from just apples & bananas• Keep your diet varied= more disease- fighting effects and less boredom with food


•More Produce Tips: • Choose organic, when possible

• Especially for the “Dirty Dozen”: apples, strawberries, grapes, celery, peaches, spinach, sweet bell peppers, imported nectarines, cucumbers, potatoes, cherry tomatoes, hot peppers….kale & collards were recently added to make it the “Dirty Dozen Plus”


•Produce in Meals/Snacks: • Vegetables can be used: in stir-fry, omelettes, pasta sauce, soups, salads, wraps, with hummus, in smoothies, topped on baked potatoes, added to sandwiches, etc

• Fruits can be used: in yogurt (for a parfait), on pancakes/waffles, on cereal, in smoothies, in salads, in breads/muffins, in smoothies, in wraps/sandwiches, etc


•Nuts & Seed Tips:• Walnuts, almonds, & pistachios pack the biggest

nutrient punch• Typically better to get raw/unsalted or just lightly salted

(the “SAD” diet usually contains enough sodium elsewhere!)

• A portion size is about 1 ounce, or what fits in the regular size Altoid tin

• Add nuts/seeds to yogurt parfaits, on salads, on cereals, or have with a piece of fruit for a good afternoon snack choice.

Next stop,the deli & meat dept


•Meat/Fish Tips:• Choose lean cuts (“choice” or “select”) with the least amount of visible fat.• Beef cuts: chuck, sirloin, tenderloin, 95% lean ground

• Pork cuts: tenderloin, loin chops, leg• Choose deli meats with no added fillers/ artificial preservatives and lower sodium• Boar’s Head has some better options


• More Meat/Fish Tips:• Get your Omega-3 fats- have 8 oz of fish/week (salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, sardines)• Can lower risk of death from heart disease by 36%

• Bison burger & wild game- typically very lean, healthy meats

• Limit processed meats like bratwurst, sausage, hotdogs, bacon

Next stop,Dairy and Dairy Alternatives


• Dairy & Dairy Alternative Tips:• Many people are choosing alternatives such as almond, coconut, rice, hemp milks to reduce hormone and antibiotic exposure. You can also get organic milk which is from antibiotic/hormone free cows.• These alternatives can be used just like regular milk: on cereal, in smoothies, in recipes, etc.

• Try to get unsweetened version, as the regular versions can have a lot of added sugar.


• Dairy & Dairy Alternative Tips:• Butter or margarine? Compare fats. Choose one that’s

not “hydrogenated”.• Organic butter is best, soft tub margarine is ok too.• Choose soft tub marg with no hydrogenated oils:

Smart Balance, Promise• AVOID stick margarine! Filled with artery-clogging

trans fat

How do you “eat for wellness”? • Dairy & Dairy Alternative Tips:

• Some ideas:• Plain Greek yogurt with some high fiber cereal, nuts, and chopped fruit is an excellent breakfast or snack choice

• The combo above plus some juice or milk, then blended in the blender, makes a great smoothie


• Dairy & Dairy Alternative Tips:• Some ideas with cheese:

• Sprinkle some mozzarella onto a high fiber tortilla with some sauteed vegetables then grill on each side for a veggie quesadilla

• Make a gourmet grilled cheese with a slice of avocado (VERY nutritious option!), slice of tomato, slice of low fat cheddar cheese, and a sprinkle of garlic powder some high fiber bread

Next stop,Breads & Cereals


• Breads & Cereals Tips:• Breads: Look for 100% whole wheat (unless you are

gluten free)….any with whole wheat as the 1st ingredient. • Also look for “no high fructose corn syrup” or “no

preservatives”.• Many gluten free breads are made with combinations of

rice, potato, tapioca, corn, garbanzo bean, and other GF flours.

• Compare brands and choose one with >=3grams of fiber per serving(A good GF bread:Kinnickkinnick multi-grain).


• Breads & Cereals Tips:• Cereals:

• Compare brands and choose one with >=3grams of fiber per serving• Some have as many as 36g/cup (Kellogg’s Bran Buds) or as little

as 0 • Also compare sugar amounts: Americans are

consuming about 15% more added sugars than they did 25 years ago, and over that time the percentage of overweight or obese adults has grown from 47% to 66%.• Post’s Golden Crisps and Kellogg’s Honey Smacks are more

than 50% sugar

Next stop,Baking Supplies


• Baking/cooking supplies: most recipes can be altered to become more heart healthy• Try using whole wheat flour instead of white• Use olive oil instead of vegetable oil or shortening.• Coconut oil is also a good option for use in cooking.

• I use organic coconut oil for stir-fry, in pasta dishes, to grease my skillets, and even as a spread! Your body needs fat to function…this is a healthy fat

• Applesauce can also be used to replace oil in recipes for things such as muffins, breads, pancakes, if you want to reduce your calories


• And finally, I saved the best for last. My favorite food: Peanut butters and other nuts butters!• provide a good amount of protein and healthy fats (if you choose

ones with no hydrogenated oils)• Reduced fat kinds are not actually better for you. Fat is replaced

with sugar.• Get the organic or natural kinds: Skippy Natural, Jif Natural,

organic store brand

• vs

Thoughts to think more about:• What are your diet staples? • How difficult or easy would it be for you to start eating for

wellness? • What’s one change that you can make today and focus on for

at least a few months? • Let me know…write it down & turn it in to me

TODAY’S CHOICE: I choose to feed my body life giving foods. What do you choose?

It’s up to YOU to take control and eat for the life you want to live!

eating for wellness

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physical wellness

level of wellness

work performance

majority of people

people worldwide rate

multiple changes

healthier habit

health of fetusbaby