16 Nutrition Tips to Live Your Best Life

Here are some of my core nutritional tips for optimal wellness and feeling your best. There are certainly more, but these are what I start my clients on when we begin their individual nutrition and supplement plans. Contact me if you would like more wellness and nutrition guidance. 

1. Balance each of your meals with a protein, carb, and fat. Carbohydrates should primarily come from vegetables and fruit.  Adjust the amount of each nutrient to fit your Metabolic Type. 
2. Limit or avoid cheeses except for raw lighter varieties such as cottage, feta, and goat cheese. Raw cheeses can be found at your local health food store or the Specialty section at Whole Foods Market.
3. Avoid pasteurized milk.
4. Choose only organic full fat yogurts or kefir.
5. Limit Starch in the form of breads, pastas, chips, crackers, white potato, etc.
6. Eliminate refined carbohydrates and replace with whole grain, sprouted, or cultured. These items can be found at most health food markets.
7. Use only organic fruits and vegetables. If you cannot get organic, wash with one part water, one part white vinegar, or peel outer rind to remove harmful pesticides.
8. Chew your food slowly and in a relaxed manner to allow enzymes in the saliva to begin the digestive process.
9. When shopping, even in a health food store, become a label reader. Watch for hydrogenated oils, synthetic dyes, sugars, and preservatives. If you can’t read it, don’t eat it.
10. Raw honey, maple syrup, or stevia can be used in place of refined sugars. These are healthier sugars which have all of their properties intact and can provide enzymes, minerals, and other nutrients to the body.
11. Be aware of low fat/no fat imitation foods – artificial ingredients are often used and fat is an important macronutrient that belongs in certain natural foods.
12. Vary your food and try not to eat the same things week after week. Try adding a variety of super foods such as gogi berries, mulberries, and raw cocoa powder to mix up your flavors and increase nutrient density.
13. Be sure olive oil is cold press and in a dark glass only (no plastics, or aluminum/metal).  Olive oil can be used for baking or to drizzle on a meal after cooking. Do not fry with olive oil as it is too unstable in heat.
14. Replace vegetable oils with real butter, ghee, coconut oil, or palm kernel oil for baking, sautéing, or frying. Three tablespoons of Coconut Oil per day keeps the fat away!
15. Use high quality stainless steel, Pyrex, or an iron skillet for cooking to avoid harmful heavy metals.
16. Drink only filter water using a high quality water filter. Limit bottled and tap water, as well as fruit juices and sugary beverages.