In a world where gas stations contain more snacks and sodas than they do fuel for your car, and there is drive-thru on every corner, it can be hard to focus on good nutrition. The temptation is everywhere! Here are some simple ways you can stay focused on nutrition without obsessing!

• Make a plan! 
  

​Plan in advance. Most well-known restaurants will have a nutrition menu available online. If you spend a little bit of time looking at the ingredients, calories, and other nutritional information on the menu, you will make a better selection when it comes time to sit down to order. While you may think that the salad is the way to go for better nutrition, many times restaurant salads have more fat and calories than their pasta dishes. It may be better to skip the chopped salad and go for the fettuccini. The point is you never know until you look.

• Don’t Rely on Calories Alone 
  

​For a long time, people have been told that a deficit of 3500 calories would lead to a reduction of 1 pound of body weight (this is commonly called the 3500 calorie rule) Unfortunately, evidence shows that the body is much more complicated than that.

A study published in American Family Physician discusses how the body has many preventative measures in place to prevent weight loss. While someone who eats a 100 calorie deficit a day for a year would be expected to lose around 50 pounds they tend to only lose 10. This is because of factors like hormones, activity, and your bodies need to hold onto fat in the case of famine (think 500 years ago, or even 100).

Our bodies don’t follow a nice, neat trend line. Focus on the foods that will nourish your body instead of the number of calories, or your macros, or micros. We simply don’t understand enough about the human organism to predict weight loss based on these numbers.

• Taste The Rainbow 
  

​No, this isn’t a license to eat all the Skittles you want. Eating the rainbow is about getting a wide variety of food based on the different colors available. Think about your diet, how much color variety do you have?

If you know there is a lot of color variety in your diet, then you know you are getting a good dose of phytochemicals.

What are phytochemicals? They are chemicals that produce the colors in foods like blueberries, strawberries, and peppers. Studies show that phytochemicals act as antioxidants and they work synergistically with the vitamins, minerals, and fiber found in whole foods to promote good health and reduce the risk of disease.

• Follow The 80-20 Rule
  

​The 80-20 rule is a simple guideline to allow yourself to eat like the average person while still getting great nutrition. Experts recommend that 80% of the time you want to eat a diet made up of whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Adding in a wide variety of proteins to ensure a healthy diet is also a good part of the 80%.

However, what about when it’s co-worker’s birthday? Do you have to decline the catered meal at the office? Or do you avoid the celebratory cocktail, an occasional glass of wine, or ice cream indulgence?

No! That is the other 20% of the food you eat. As long as you are eating well most of the time, you can forgive yourself for the other 20% and enjoy the hotdog at the ballpark, or popcorn at the movies.

• Keep a journal
  

​Humans are really good at convincing ourselves we are doing the right thing, even when we aren’t. Accountability in nutrition is one of the most important elements of nutrition focus you can use.

You can write everything down and then review it later to see if it was in line with your nutritional goals. Many times, you may find your food journal reflects your emotional health. As you experience stress, you may reach for salty, high-fat, comfort foods. The quicker you learn this, the faster you can fix it.

If you don’t want to count, log, or pay too much attention to diet; but you still want to make sure you are getting good nutrition; aim for a minimum of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. If you hit this mark, you know you are focused on nutrition, without focusing too much on things like calories and numbers.

Hopefully these steps help you narrow your focus on your nutrition. Try them and see what works best for you. 
​

Serves 1-2
 
1 bag of rooibos chai tea (rooibos is naturally caffeine-free)
2 cups of boiling water
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon almond butter (creamy is preferred)
2 dates (optional)
 
Cover the teabag and dates (if using) with 2 cups of boiling water and steep for a few minutes.
 
Discard the tea bag & place tea, soaked dates, tahini & almond butter into a blender.
 
Blend until creamy.
 
Serve and Enjoy!
 
Tip:  You can try this with other nut or seed butters to see which flavour combination you like the best.  Cashew butter anyone?

 
You totally want to ditch your scale, don't you?

You may have this weird kind of relationship with your “weight”. 

​I mean, it doesn't define you (obviously).
 
What you weigh can matter but only to a certain extent.
 
Let's look at your waist circumference (well...you look at yours and I'll look at mine).
 
Waist Circumference (AKA “Belly Fat”):
 
Do you remember the fruity body shape descriptions being like an “apple” or a “pear”?  The apple is kinda round around the middle (you know – belly fat-ish, kinda beer belly-ish) and the pear is rounder around the hips/thighs.
 
THAT is what we're talking about here.
 
Do you know which shape is associated with a higher risk of sleep apnea, blood sugar issues (e.g. insulin resistance and diabetes) and heart issues (high blood pressure, blood fat, and arterial diseases).
 
Yup – that apple!
 
And it's not because of the subcutaneous (under the skin) fat that you may refer to as a “muffin top”.  The health risk is actually due to the fat inside the abdomen covering the liver, intestines and other organs there.
 
This internal fat is called “visceral fat” and that's where a lot of the problem actually is.  It's this “un-pinchable” fat. 
 
The reason the visceral fat can be a health issue is because it releases fatty acids, inflammatory compounds, and hormones that can negatively affect your blood fats, blood sugars, and blood pressure.
 
And the apple-shaped people tend to have a lot more of this hidden visceral fat than the pear-shaped people do.
 
So as you can see where your fat is stored is more important that how much you weigh.
 
Am I an apple or a pear?
 It's pretty simple to find out if you're in the higher risk category or not. The easiest way is to just measure your waist circumference with a measuring tape.  You can do it right now.
 
Women, if your waist is 35” or more you could be considered to have “abdominal obesity” and be in the higher risk category.  Pregnant ladies are exempt, of course.
 
For men the number is 40”.
 
Of course this isn't a diagnostic tool.  There are lots of risk factors for chronic diseases.  Waist circumference is just one of them.
 
If you have concerns definitely see your doctor.
 
Tips for helping reduce some belly fat:

• Eat more fiber.  Fiber can help reduce belly fat in a few ways.  First of all it helps you feel full and also helps to reduce the amount of calories you absorb from your food.  Some examples of high-fiber foods are brussel sprouts, flax and chia seeds, avocado, and blackberries.
• Add more protein to your day.  Protein reduces your appetite and makes you feel fuller longer.  It also has a high TEF (thermic effect of food) compared with fats and carbs and ensures you have enough of the amino acid building blocks for your muscles.
• Nix added sugars.  This means ditch the processed sweetened foods especially those sweet drinks (even 100% pure juice).
• Move more.  Get some aerobic exercise.  Lift some weights.  Walk and take the stairs.  It all adds up.
• Stress less.  Seriously!  Elevated levels in the stress hormone cortisol have been shown to increase appetite and drive abdominal fat.
• Get more sleep.  Try making this a priority and seeing how much better you feel (and look).

1 lb Brussels sprouts (washed, ends removed, halved)
2-3 cloves of garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
dash salt and pepper
 
Preheat oven to 400F. 
 
In a bowl toss sprouts with garlic, oil, and lemon juice.  Spread on a baking tray and season with salt and pepper.
Bake for about 15 minutes.  Toss.
Bake for another 10 minutes.
Serve and Enjoy!
 
Tip:  Brussel sprouts contain the fat-soluble bone-loving vitamin K.  You may want to eat them more often.