01 Sep 2016
Think back to your lunchtime choices, your late-night struggles and the grocery shopping at the beginning of the week, and prepare to rate your food choices.
Ready?
That wasn’t so bad, was it? Don’t feel the need to share your score with anyone (unless you want to, check out our Facebook post and leave a comment), it’s between you, your body and your wellness goals. And we get it, as work hours seep into after hours and the line between your time and company time continues to blur, it can be difficult to muster the energy required to put together a taste sensation without relying on the three stooges of the nutritional world – fat, salt and sugar.
Because you’re short on time, we’ve put together four easy nutrition tips for women to keep you energised and revitalised throughout the day – trial our changes for a week or two and you may notice a kick in your step that wasn’t there before.
Wait, what? We’re giving you permission to snack? Snacks are the devil, they’re evil, whole television segments have been dedicated to the woes and no-no’s of snacking, so what gives? Go to your cupboard/desk/drawer stash and throw out the following – fresh and packet cakes, lollies, chocolate, dried fruit and sugary breakfast cereals. These are not snacks, they are gateway foods to a more lethargic you.
Nutrition Tip: Stock your basket with unsalted, natural almonds; apples; protein bars; celery and carrot sticks; strawberries; blueberries; VitaWheats with tomato, feta and avocado; unsalted, air popped popcorn etc – delicious food made easy.
How often do you take vitamins? Do you cut out the middle man and throw down a multi-vitamin with a glass of water? If you’re not a fan of swallowing pills for the sake of it, stay a while and learn why B2 and Calcium are particularly important for a healthier, stronger you. The former assists your body in breaking down those pesky carbs and fats we know we can’t live without and calcium helps women to maintain bone density as they put themselves through high impact exercises like a morning run or afternoon weight training.
Not every vitamin should be ingested in a centimetre by centimetre serving… after all, where’s the fun in that? A sibling of the Vitamin B family, folate or folic acid is easy to work into your diet through leafy, lovely green vegetables or tangy citrus fruits. Incorporate broccoli, kale, spinach and dark green lettuces into your breakfast, lunch and dinner and munch on an orange as snack later. But why? Not only is it great for the heart, folate is an effective cholesterol regulator and neurological buffer – pregnant women or women who wish to become pregnant should boost their folate intake to promote foetal health and perinatal wellness.
Swapping bad foods for good foods sounds simple on the surface and indeed, there are many Pinterest boards and Instagram posts that highlight the numerous healthy options out there, but we’re taking it back to basics. Let’s talk bread and breakfast. Cereals are not created equal – Coco Pops, Fruit Loops, Crunchy Nut Cornflakes and friends are all household favourites – they make you feel good, happy and ready to take on the world… until around 10 am when your energy starts to slump. If you must have a sugar hit in the early hours, go for organic honey on your Weetbix or rolled oats… they may sound boring, but there are some truly delicious brands out there. When was the last time you ate bread? An hour ago? Last week? Never? Swapping out a loaf of white bread with wholemeal, rye or a grain variations and improve your overall health.
Want to know more about nutrition to lead a healthy lifestyle? Call us on 1300 616 180 today to find out more about our 10967NAT Diploma of Nutrition.
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