Forget what's trending and choose simpler ways to help your food work for your health
As we welcome the new year, we are often bombarded with messages from the $72 billion diet and wellness industry about the latest wellness trends, detoxes and social media challenges to jumpstart our resolutions. This messaging often works to make you feel guilty about enjoying the holidays, wants you to restrict certain foods (Are carbohydrates really that bad?), or purchase an expensive fitness membership or supplement package.
The truth is, you can commit to healthier habits in the new year without being overly restrictive or buying into the latest fads. Let’s review some tips and resources for weeding through the misinformation this time of year and choosing healthy habits. To get started, check out this article for some tips on how to spot a fad diet.
Healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming
Don’t let fear of processed foods keep you from using cost effective and convenient products that can be part of a nutritious meal. Many canned, frozen and shelf-stable products fit in perfectly to nourishing meals and snacks. For help with saving time and money, consider making a plan for meals and for grocery shopping ahead of time (Meal Planning and food shopping tips), and check out these resources as well: Healthy eating on a budget and Saving time in the kitchen.
Try new things!
Instead of focusing on what to limit or take away from your diet, try focusing on finding new ways to add nourishing foods to your meals and snacks. For example, you can make a goal to try cooking with new-to-you herb and spice combinations or other flavor boosters. Or perhaps you want to explore preparing food using different cooking methods for tastier meals!
Move your body more
Increasing physical activity as you are able is an important healthy habit. If you are starting up a new exercise routine or want to get the most out of your current workouts, make sure you are fueling your body well for the exercise.
Think beyond diet and exercise
While nourishing your body and being active are important, so is getting enough sleep, staying hydrated (10 healthy ways to increase your fluid intake) and managing stress. These factors might play a bigger role than you may realize in your health and how you feel, so don’t neglect these to focus on diet and exercise.
Online nutrition resources
Learn more about all the services offered by our Nutrition Team on the Nutrition and Food Services page on our website. From this page, you can also navigate to information on topics such as Nutrition and Cancer Prevention, Nutrition at Diagnosis and During Treatment, Nutrition and Survivorship, Frequently Asked Questions, Nutrition Resources and additional nutrition education videos.
Explore more in-depth tips on nutrition and planning and preparing meals and snacks by checking out our nutrition video series sponsored by General Mills! After watching the videos, fill out the survey that is linked in the description of each video for a chance to win a Tops gift card! The videos feature tips for:
- Quick Vegetable Recipes
- Meal Prep and Grocery Shopping
- Easy Plant Based Meals
- Healthy Breakfast and Snack Recipes
Watch our Survivorship Healthy Lifestyle series on YouTube
You can find a series of short (1-5 minute) videos on a variety of nutrition and physical activity topics. Some of the topics include goal setting, label reading, spotting fad diets, and exercises you can do at home. Check out the full YouTube playlist here: Survivorship Healthy Lifestyle Series. And be on the lookout for the return of this program in-person in 2023!
