MARCH IS NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH!

March is National Nutrition Month and Paramount Health Directions knows how important eating well is for mental and emotional health. Small changes in your nutritional lifestyle can make a big difference in your overall well-being over time. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ theme this year is “Eat Right, Bite by Bite”, incorporating mindful eating tactics through the month of March, and hopefully carrying them through the rest of the year. Mindful eating can even start before sitting down to eat a meal, beginning with the preparation. Utilize the tips below to promote a mindfulness focus this March!

• Have fun with meal planning this month and pick one new recipe you haven’t tried before to have each week

• Eat a meal before going grocery shopping, or don’t go to the store hungry, as you are more likely to have impulse buys when you shop on an empty stomach

• Slow down when eating to aid in digestion and mindful eating tactics, by taking 15 minutes to eat a meal instead of five minutes

• Use your senses while eating : what does the meal look like, smell like, taste like, etc. and enjoy it with family and friends as social interaction

• Pay attention to the colors of the foods you eat, and focus on eating a variety of colors through the day to find balance in your vitamin and mineral intake

Overall, being mindful with eating is simply being present in the process of preparing and consuming food instead of eating passively. Start by implementing one mindful tactic each week and by the end of the month, you will have four new mindful practices as a part of your wellness routine. Want more information about national nutrition month? Visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website for more tips and tricks.

Happy Wellness!

ANNA SCHWARTZ, MS, RDN