Making Healthy Food Choices For The Holidays
Written by: Cleanne Johnson, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
The holidays are upon us, and we all want to make healthy food choices to avoid chronic illness and live longer and more successful lives.
What is the key to healthy living?
Eating healthy, getting adequate sleep, engaging in physical activity, spirituality, self-love, water, sunlight, and nurturing relationships with family and friends. We need to focus on the keys to healthy living to bring about longevity and a more productive life. Food is a medicine for the body, mind, and soul. Our bodies need nutrients from fats, carbohydrates, protein, dairy, and vegetables. These foods are the basis of vitality, well-being, and energy for everyday living. This holiday season let us make our plate half fruits and vegetables, focusing more on whole grains and low-fat protein in regard to balance and moderation.
Go for colorful vegetables loaded with antioxidants and phytochemicals, limit saturated fats, reduce sodium and added sugars. Let us enjoy the healing power of our foods by eating mindfully, chewing our foods slowly, and putting the utensils down when we are 80% full. After dinner, go for a 30-minute walk and get some sunlight while spending time with loved ones.
During the holidays, sugar is one of the most consumed foods in cookies, pastries, and other sweets. Sugars may contribute to overweight, which may increase the risk for chronic disease.
Aim for foods high in fiber, which helps to boost gut bacteria. If you’re on a plant-based diet, include foods like lentils, tofu, nuts, seeds, soybeans, and quinoa. If you’re a protein lover, go for lean cuts of meat such as ground turkey breast, salmon, tuna, flank steak, white meat turkey, and chicken. A good way to measure your protein intake is using the palm of your hand and the thickest part of your hand, which is about 3 oz. It’s never too late to start making small changes for a healthy holiday season in moderation and balance while enjoying the holidays.
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Cleanne Johnson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Cleanne Johnson is a talented and creative artist who immersed herself in acting and performing arts from a young age. Blessed with her storytelling prowess, she perfected the art by telling stories to her family, creating fictional characters who came to life through her words. Cleanne started writing short stories and poetry to express her feelings and found writing to be a safe haven. Through her podcast, Beauty of Colors, the author of Love My Colors, Beauty of Colors (poems), Beauty of Life: 101 Inspirational Quotes, and Why This Trip, she loves to inspire people and listens to their stories. Deep in her heart, she believes everyone has a story to help change someone's life. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and a Master’s in Public Health from Andrews University in Michigan and now works as a registered dietitian in New York.
When she is not busy working on her next literary project, Cleanne enjoys cooking, hiking, reading, sewing, singing, and encouraging people from all different ethnicities that they are special, unique, and beautiful.
