Happy New Year, everyone! Looking for some ways to improve your diet this new year?
Here are 5 EASY changes you can make:
1️⃣ Drink 1-2 glasses of water before drinking coffee in the morning💧
Why? This will help you not only reach your fluid goals for the day, (it is extremely difficult to meet your hydration needs if you don’t begin consuming water until the late morning) but it will help hydrate your body before the coffee. Not only that, water will provide mental clarity, better focus, and more energy to the body, which can support a LOWER consumption of caffeine each day 🤭
2️⃣ Develop a sustainable breakfast routine
Yes, you need breakfast. However, if the pressure of a new year’s resolution brings an unsustainable breakfast routine for you, then you need to re-evaluate it and make it sustainable for YOU 💯Start by eating SOMETHING. Once it becomes a habit, it will be easier to optimize it for your exact needs, but you need to start somewhere! Not only that, drinking coffee in the morning with no coffee drives your stress hormone cortisol through the roof, which promotes weight gain and decreased health 😰
3️⃣ Include a source of protein in your breakfast (eggs, meat, dairy, nuts)
You NEED protein at breakfast. The amount needed can range from 15-30 grams, depending on your needs. A breakfast rich in fat and carbs but not protein is MUCH less satiating for the body, let alone causes you to miss out on the protein’s role of supporting muscle health, blood sugar regulation throughout the day, and a more steady, prolonged energy boost. Protein supports the secretion of the satiety hormones CCK, PPY, & GLP-1. Meanwhile, it will suppress the hunger hormone ghrelin.
4️⃣ Be mindful of saturated fat intake
Instead of opting to cut out certain fats, make it more realistic and opt to reduce them for more nutrient-dense, health-promoting unsaturated fats. How is it easiest to tell which is which? If the fat is SOLID at room temperature, it is extremely high in saturated fats. I know what you’re thinking; yes, this INCLUDES coconut oil. In fact, there is more saturated fat in coconut oil than there is in butter 🤯 Easy swaps include olive oil sprays or oils when cooking on the stove or even avocado oil to sprinkle on your vegetables at dinner time. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, just be mindful of these changes.
5️⃣ Be sure you are getting appropriate fiber at each meal & snack
Everyone has slightly different fiber needs depending on their physical activity, age, and digestive health. It is important you are getting enough and that they are from whole food sources. If your granola bar has 8 grams of fiber, there is reason to speculate. If it is not a whole food bar, this fiber is likely derived from added fibers that are often extremely hard to digest, especially for those that already have pre-existing digestive issues 🥴
However, not getting sufficient fiber can lead to not only impaired digestion, but also decreased satiety and lower nutrient intake, since high-fiber whole foods are conveniently nutrient-dense as well (think: avocados, broccoli, berries, apples, brown rice, potatoes with skin-on). It will be much easier to reach your fiber goals while supporting gut health to spread your fiber intake throughout the day!
Until Next Time,
Your RD Fuel Good Experts 🍍