March is National Nutrition Month! It's a nutrition education and information campaign created annually in March by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing healthy eating and physical activity habits.
This year's theme is "Discover the Power of Nutrition."
Nutrition has the power to help individuals and communities thrive. Our food and beverage choices have the power to help us flourish and prosper. To get the most benefit from the food and beverages you choose throughout the week, consider the following tips:
Power your day
- Choose healthy foods from all the food groups.
- Alternate your food choices for a variety of nutrients. Including a variety of foods within each food group can help you get the nutrients you need.
- Avoid fad diets that promote unnecessary restrictions. Fad diets advertise quick and easy solutions to common concerns such as weight loss, but they don't promote healthy or sustainable habits. These diets may also result in nutritional deficiencies.
There is a lot of research linking a healthy eating pattern, which consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein foods, and dairy or fortified soy versions, while also limiting saturated fat, sodium and added sugars, with a reduced risk of diet-related chronic diseases such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.
Discovering the power of nutrition means learning how everyday food choices can support long-term health, energy and well-being. Whether you're looking at nutrition headlines or searching for nutritious options to eat, boost your confidence in your choices with accurate sources of nutrition information. Feel more self-assured in your food and beverage choices with a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). A nutrition expert provides personalized nutrition information to help you meet your health goals. RDNs provide preventive and medical nutrition therapy services, also called MNT, and specialize in different areas such as diabetes, weight management and chronic kidney disease, among others.
MNT is a personalized, nutrition-based treatment plan that involves "assessing a person's health status, medical history and eating patterns; identifying any dietary issues; and creating a personalized, culturally appropriate and medically supervised nutrition plan to treat or manage one or more health conditions." (Source: eatright.org)
Northside Hospital offers a full range of outpatient weight management and nutrition services designed to help you achieve optimal health and feel your best. For more information, call 404-236-8036 or scan the QR code below.
LEARN MORE ABOUT NORTHSIDE HOSPITAL NUTRITION SERVICES.
