Nutrition

According to workLIFE by Colonial Life, a healthy lifestyle and balanced diet provide higher energy levels and defend against illness, which helps promote productivity. Diet also can improve long-term health outcomes, eliminate health risks, and reduce contributing factors to many illnesses. An improved diet has been proven to reduce high blood pressure, lower high cholesterol, help fight off illness, speed recovery times from illness or injury, and increase energy levels. Read “Gut Health and Your Heart.”

Food Groups:  What we eat every day helps determines how well our body is fueled and how efficiently it functions. Our bodies run – or drag – in large measure based on the food we consume.

Eating a clean, balanced diet with healthy choices from every group is essential to good health. Foods are grouped together because they provide similar amounts of the key nutrients of that food group.  For example, the key nutrients of the dairy food group include calcium and protein, while the fruit group is a good source of vitamins, especially vitamin C. Read more to find out why we should consider eating a wide variety of grains, fruits, vegetables, protein, and dairy each and every day.

Nutrition by Life Stage:  Our nutritional needs change with different life stages. Examples of those stages are childhood, teen years, pregnancy and older adult. To be fit and healthy, it is important to take into account the extra demands placed on our body during these stages. Read the articles found in the subsections here to find out more about how our nutritional needs change depending on what stage of life we are in.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans:  According to their website, The Dietary Guidelines for Americans provides advice on what to eat and drink to meet nutrient needs, promote health, and prevent disease. The U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) work together to update and release the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (Dietary Guidelines) every five years. Each edition of the Dietary Guidelines reflects the current body of nutrition science. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 is the current edition.

Understanding Food Labels:  The information on food labels is intended to help consumers become savvy about their food choices. The front, back, and sides of a package are filled with information to inform us what the food contains and to provide guidance in making healthier selections of processed foods. However, all the numbers, percentages, and sometimes complex-sounding ingredients can lead to more confusion than clarity. This guide will help you to navigate the terminology and nutrition information on a food package to ensure that you know what you’re buying – and eating!

Websites with healthy recipes:
https://nourishedkitchen.com/
https://www.nutrition.gov/recipes
https://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/18314/cuisines-regions/mediterranean/
https://healthyeating.nhlbi.nih.gov/default.aspx