3 Keys to Optimal Nutrition

A healthy diet is essential for good health and nutrition. It protects you against many chronic noncommunicable diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Eating a variety of foods and consuming less salt, sugars and saturated and industrially-produced trans-fats, are essential for healthy diet.

Eat from all or most of the food groups. Eating a variety of foods from the 5 major food groups provides a range of nutrients to the body, promotes good health and can help reduce the risk of disease - as well as keeping your diet interesting with different flavors and textures. What happens if you don't always eat food from all the food groups? Eating a varied diet can benefit our health by reducing risks associated with malnutrition, which happens when we don't get the right amount of nutrients from our diet. Malnutrition can cause weak muscles, decrease mobility, increase illness, and lead to breathing problems, among other symptoms. A well-balanced diet provides all of the: energy you need to keep active throughout the day - nutrients you need for growth and repair, helping you to stay strong and healthy and help to prevent diet-related illness, such as some cancers.

Eat the right amount for your activity and performance goals. Your digestive system functions best when it is not overloaded with food. Managing portions will help to end cramping and bloating after eating. Balanced blood sugar too. Overeating can lead to a blood sugar imbalance by overloading your body with glucose; which can eventually lead to insulin resistance. 
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Focus on whole foods, fewer processed foods. Whole foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains (such as oats, brown rice and barley), nuts, beans, fish, shellfish and eggs. Minimally processed foods are foods that are a little processed, such as frozen produce or whole wheat flour. 

Choose more plants - the more colors, the better. Colorful foods, which are generally fruits and vegetables, contain many of the vitamins and antioxidants we need – with few calories. Along with maintaining good health, the nutrients in vegetables and fruits work together to protect against cancer, heart disease, vision loss, hypertension and other diseases.

Aim for foods with naturally occurring nutrients. Nutrient-dense foods are rich in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients important for health, without too much saturated fat, added sugars and sodium. 

Follow a regular eating pattern. In general, scheduling what and when you eat will help you maintain a balanced diet and create a more stable energy source, as your metabolism will be engaged at optimal levels all day long. The goal is to eat every 3 to 4 hours in order to keep your blood sugar consistent and for your stomach to optimally digest.

Avoid skipping meals or going too long without eating. Skipping meals: Causes the body to lower its metabolism (how much energy it needs to function), it causes us to burn less energy (fewer calories), and can lead us to gain weight. This can leave you with little energy because the body has run out of the fuel we get from food, leaving you sluggish. But, don't overeat - remember our stomachs are only the size of our fists.

Fuel before, during, an after exercise. Studies suggest that eating or drinking carbohydrates before exercise can improve workout performance and may allow you to work out for a longer time or at a higher intensity. If you don't eat, you might feel sluggish or lightheaded when you exercise. Intense training requires proper fuel. Eating every three to four hours throughout the day and eating post-workout is an important part of supporting your body.

Good nutrition is essential in keeping current and future generations of Americans healthy across the lifespan. Tip for New Mom's: Breastfeeding helps protect against childhood illnesses, including ear and respiratory infections, asthma, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

People with healthy eating patterns live longer and are at lower risk for serious health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. For people with chronic diseases, healthy eating can help manage these conditions and prevent complications.