I am honored to have Nutrition Educator
Nancy Parlette bless us today with some basic nutritional information to help guide our food choices. I appreciate Nancy’s balanced and realistic approach to healthy eating. I also want to extend a hearty thank you to Toni from
Lakeside Lessons for connecting us! Please welcome our guest today- Nancy Parlette.
Since Dawn has a “fitting in fitness” theme, I thought, with my Nutrition degree, I ought to talk about how we can fit in healthy eating! Let’s make it simple, the best way to get healthy is to eat foods that have the most nutrients per calorie. We can divide them up into the 3 macro-nutrient groups and you will see how EASY it can be!
Macro-nutrients are the nutrients that give us energy or calories. These are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. We need a balance of all three. The confusing part is that there are good and bad food choices within each group.
1. Carbohydrates – Most people think of grains when they hear “carbs”, however fruit and vegetables are carbs too. We should be eating 3 or more servings of fruit a day. Begin adding in 1 piece a day and workup to more. How about vegetables? They are by far the winners when it comes to nutrient content! They have tons of vitamins and minerals and, like fruits, lots of antioxidants to protect our cells from free radical damage. Get 5+ servings a day and you will feel great! Have a big salad every day filled with 1 cup of leafy greens and 1 cup of different color fresh veggies. I tell my clients to EAT THE RAINBOW of fruits and vegetables every day because each color has different nutrients.
What about grains? If you are a child or an adult looking to gain weight then add in 4 or more servings of whole grains to your diet. For the rest of us, a few servings a day is fine. Chips, crackers, desserts, white bread, white rice, white pasta do NOT count as healthy grains! I’m talking about Brown rice, oats, whole wheat flour, millet, quinoa, etc. Ditch the refined and processed stuff!
2. Proteins – Most women need about 50 grams of protein a day and men about 65 grams. We gals tend not to get enough. This does not mean I want you to start eating pork hot dogs and beef burgers! Those are the unhealthy proteins! Try some wild caught salmon, organic free range chicken or turkey, and occasionally some grass fed beef. We don’t want animals filled with growth hormones and antibiotics. That goes for dairy too. Plants such as Beans, peas, lentils, quinoa, nuts and seeds are the best because they have protein AND fiber and lots of vitamins and minerals. Plus they DON’T have the saturated fats.
3. Fats – Yes there are good fats! We need them for our brain, hormones, skin, etc. Try adding avocado, olives, or raw unsalted nuts or seeds onto your salad. Avoid the rich sauces, fatty meats, and trans-fats in hydrogenated oils.
If we stick to eating REAL food made in nature we will be well on our way to vibrant health! Don’t forget that water is our best beverage!
Nancy Parlette is a speaker, life coach and author with Healthy Living Strategies, LLC where they ENERGIZE YOU FOR LIVING! Her goal is to get people excited about living, confident in their purpose and overflowing with vibrant health so they can live it out fully! Nancy has a BA in Sociology and a MS in Human Nutrition. She is a certified Natural Health Counselor and Digestive Health Specialist. Nancy has a strong Christian faith which she shares as she mentors and coaches her clients.
Nancy is available for: coaching, speaking and writing!
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Enthusiastically, Dawn 
Thank you for this great and informative post! Appreciated.
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So glad I could bring two great ladies together 🙂 Great post Nancy!
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I just had back surgery & because I cannot exercise yet it's good to know these tips while I'm eating. Thanks for sharing.
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This is my goal right now. Eating good natural foods and no sugar.
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