Top 10 Ways to Balance Your Nutrition

It is understandable that we all have busy lives; 10-12 hour jobs, a dozen to-do lists, a family to take care of, all kinds of projects, and umpteen priorities.

This does not mean that it is impossible to eat healthy and balanced even on a schedule as tight as yours. All you need is a strategy. As a physical therapist and personal trainer in New Jersey, I have dealt with several clients who struggle to balance nutrition. Try these 10 tips to reinvent your nutrition lifestyle.

1. Do not skip breakfast.
Skipping the most important meal of the day is a mistake. It results in overeating, guilt and weight gain. Wake up a little early to prepare breakfast if you must. Studies have shown that those who skip breakfast tend to be overweight or obese.

2. Don't skip meals.
Skipping meals causes your body to go into 'hibernation' mode where it stores fat as a source of energy, instead of burning it efficiently.

3. If you absolutely, positively MUST choose frozen dinners, supplement them with some nutritious fruit or vegetable.
Most frozen dinners are lacking in Vitamins A and C as well as fiber and can leave you unfulfilled and hungry. Add some vegetables or a salad and a piece of fresh fruit to get the vitamins you need.

4. Have a reserve of nutritious food stocked in your fridge, freezer, cupboard, and pantry.
When you don't grocery shop, you come home to poor food choices and snacks
or settle for fast foods. Having a reserve of healthy food gives you choice - of
a variety of good-for-you food.

5. Create a plan.
Plan to eat at least 1-2 snacks and 3 meals a day. This will decrease your hunger and urge to eat junk foods, keep your metabolism high so you burn more calories, and help you lose weight faster. Pack some nutrition bars, or whip up a protein shake or two and put in a thermos.

6. 3-5 hours MAXIMUM time between meals.
Going any longer than 5 hours will cause you to eat anything in sight. Schedule time for balanced snacks like peaches and cottage cheese, or healthy nutrition bars, or protein shakes

7. Be prepared.
Working late can sabotage your eating plans. Pack a few meals and keep them in the refrigerator at work, nutrition bars/shakes. Keeping these on hand will keep you from starving yourself, which is definitely NOT good. If you're working on a challenging project, sticking with sound nutrition will keep your energy higher and your brain sharper.

8. Prepare meals in minutes.v
Use a slow cooker or crockpot to toss in ingredients before you go out the door in the morning and your meal will be all ready when you come home. Make use of the microwave, too.

9. Use quick, healthy foods.
Instead of cutting up vegetables or making the salad, why not spend a few extra dollars and get some prepared cut up fruits and vegetables? Get a rotisserie chicken. Get fully cooked, cut up chicken or turkey. Have some cottage cheese. It's still a lot cheaper than a fast food hamburger!

10. Cook in bulk.
Plan to cook one day a week (maybe Sunday) and prepare large batches of several dishes for the week. Double or triple normal quantities and freeze some, too.

You want to eat well. You want your energy up. You want to keep your metabolism high.