A Nutritious Life is about much more than just eating right. Whether I’m working with a client individually, preparing for a TV appearance, or writing one of my books, I always keep the eight pillars of a Nutritious Life at the forefront of my mind:
• Drink Up
• Eat Empowered
• Exercise Steady
• Pamper Thyself
• Sex Ed
• Sleep Deep
• Stress Less
• Your World
Keeping your whole family healthy can be a challenge, especially if you have picky eaters, food allergies, and crazy schedules to contend with. But there are a few simple things that EVERY family can do to live their most Nutritious Life:
1. Eat Empowered: Snacking between meals often gets a bad rap. But snacking the right way is often the secret to success and to healthy children! Snacks help keep energy up and hunger in check, and they are a great place for kids to get more nutrients if they don’t get them all in at meals. Remember, snack foods should be real food! Turkey on whole wheat crackers or whole wheat pasta and veggie salad can be a snack! Keep kid-friendly snacks handy around the house at all times: colorful fruit salad and pre-cut sliced apples, air-popped popcorn mixed with a high fiber cereal and dried apricots , and crudite with a greek yogurt dip (kids love to dip!) are a few of my faves.
2. Drink up: Thirst can mask itself as hunger, so the next time you’re dragging halfway between lunch and dinner, have a glass or two of water—often, that refresher will be just the boost you need. If you or your kids struggle to get in those 8 cups of plain water every day, perk things up with citrus or cucumber slices, fresh basil or mint or go with seltzer instead of soda if you like bubbles.
4. Stress Less: Daily stress takes a toll on mind, body and soul. Managing stress is a critical part of a Nutritious Life. If you are finding it too stressful to prepare healthy meals for your family, or if your personal weight loss goals differ from those of the rest of your clan, check out Nutritious Life Meals, delivering fresh, delicious, properly portioned meals and snacks daily right to your doorstep.
3. Your World: If scarfing down your dinner over the kitchen sink or hurrying your kids through their meal to stay on schedule is the norm in your house, then it’s time to hit the reset button. Dinner time is a critical part of your World. Eat slowly, listen to your body and enjoy your family and meals. It takes the body about 20 minutes to recognize that you have had enough to eat, so make sure you’re listening to your body and learn to know when you are satisfied! Go slow and use dinner time as a way to reconnect with your family and find out how everyone’s day went.
5. Exercise Steady: Exercising releases endorphins that make you feel good and motivate you to make healthier choices throughout the day. Get the whole family involved and make daily walks part of your after-dinner routine, go to the park, or host a family sports day. The family that plays together gets fit together!
*Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN, is a nationally recognized nutrition expert and published author. She is the founder and president of Nutritious Life, a nutrition practice based in New York City. Keri is the author of The Snack Factor Diet, The O2 Diet, and her latest, Slim Calm Sexy Diet. Keri is also a contributor of Women’s Health Magazine and regularly appears on the Today Show, Access Hollywood Live, The View, and others.
Follow Keri on Twitter: @KeriGlassman and “Like” Keri on Facebook
