Food Power! Choosing to eat a wide variety of healthy foods everyday have wonderful side effects including: Optimum energy, decreased illness, promote better concentration, improve memory, keep mood elevated, prevent risks of chronic illnesses such as cancer,heart disease and help to maintain a health weight. Here are a few tips to help you live a healthy and well life: •
Eat breakfast EVERYDAY! Eating breakfast everyday gives your body the energy it needs to get you going in the morning, gives your brain the fuel it needs to learn, concentrate, aids in creativity, improves memory and results in more productive mornings. Make sure you include a balance of protein, carbs and fat i.e. A piece of whole grain toast, boiled egg and piece of fruit OR a bowl of oatmeal, topped with fresh berries and chopped nuts. •
Choose Fresh Fibre First! Be sure to eat a piece of raw fruit/veggies before each meal. They are jam packed with added nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Being in their raw state they have live enzymes that will help you digest food more easily. Eat a banana before your breakfast, eat a raw carrot before your lunch meal and if you want to eat a burger choose to eat a small side salad before‐ hand.
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Choose to eat smaller meals more often! In order to maximize your energy aim to eat something every 2‐3 hours. By doing this you avoid fatigue and maintain energy. Say good‐
bye to energy peaks and valleys. Having some mixed nuts and raw fruit with you at all times to snack on in between meals will help your energy levels and prevent you from ‘crashing’. •
Ditch the junk food in favour of natural/organic unprocessed food Most junk food is loaded with sodium, sugar, unhealthy additives and thus empty calories. Too much of this can cause mood swings, feelings of lethargy, fatigue, bloating and general blahness’. Natural/organic foods are jam packed with nutrients and produce side effects such as increased energy, concentration, productivity and contribute to overall feelings of wellness. •
Ditch the junk food in favour of natural/organic unprocessed food Most junk food is loaded with sodium, sugar, unhealthy additives and thus empty calories. Too much of this can cause mood swings, feelings of lethargy, fatigue, bloating and general blahness’. Natural/organic foods are jam packed with nutrients and produce side effects such as increased energy, concentration, productivity and contribute to overall feelings of wellness. •
Stay hydrated By staying hydrated you decrease afternoon sluggishness, fatigue, and increase alertness; if your urine is pale yellow you are on the right track. Drink 8 glasses of H2O every day and more if you are active and or if it is hot outside. Carry around an aluminum water bottle to assist you in meeting your H20 requirements each day. •
Avoid portion distortion In Western society our portion sizes have ballooned to what they were a few decades ago. Here are some general guidelines as per Canada’s Food Guide: Light bulb, your fist or a baseball = 1 cup salad (1 serving of vegetables), 1 cup of whole grain cereal (1 serving of grains), 1 cup milk (1 serving of dairy, 1 medium size of fruit (1 serving of fruit) Tennis ball = ¾ cup of oatmeal (1 serving of grains), ¾ yogurt (1 serving of dairy) Deck of cards = 3oz. Serving of meat, chicken or fish (1 serving of meat or alternatives) Hockey puck = mini bagel (2 servings of grain products), a hamburger or hotdog bun (2 servings of grain products) One dice or thumb = 1 tsp of butter (Other foods), 1 tsp of sugar (Other foods) Two 9 volt batteries or 2 thumbs = 1 1/2 ounces of cheese (1 serving of milk products) Computer mouse = 1 cup of vegetables (2 servings of vegetables), potato (1 serving of vegetables) 1 cup of beans or lentils (1 serving of meat or alternatives) Consistently choosing healthy foods everyday and at each meal will give your body the clean fuel it needs to perform optimally both in the short and long term. Health Services www.health.uvic.ca 250‐721‐8492