1.            Eat breakfast – even if just a very small amount of food, within 2 hours of waking up.

2.            Eat food along with that morning coffee. Coffee alone is not a balanced breakfast.

3.            Take your “energy medicine” (food) in moderate doses every 3 to 4 hours throughout the day.

4.            Make meals balanced: Half the plate as vegetables, ¼ as lean protein and ¼ as whole grains.

5.            Stay well hydrated. Drink 4 to 8 ounces of water every time you eat.

6.            Pack a healthy lunch.

7.            Eat an afternoon snack to prevent overdoing it at dinner.

8.            Practice stopping when full, not stuffed.

9.            Eat more fruits and vegetables overall. Include in all meals and all snacks.

10.            Add more fibre to your life. Read labels and choose foods with the most fibre.

11.            Enjoy a maximum of 1 drink/day (women) and 2 drinks/day (men) or less.

12.            Watch salt intake. 77% of the excess we eat is from processed food, not the shaker.

13.            Buy groceries regularly. A good supply at home means better meals and snacks.

14.            Do an extra produce pickup at least once/week over and above your big shopping day.

15.            Don’t write off restaurant meals. See point 4 and make this work even when dining out.

16.            Limit or totally avoid soda pop and juice.

17.            Be mindful of liquid calories overall – including cream and sugar added to tea or coffee.

18.            Follow the 80-20 rule making healthy choices at least 80% of the time but leaving room for occasional treats.

19.            Get good paring knives, a cutting board and supplies to make healthy food prep easier.

20.            Monitor your total sugar intake and work on reducing it.

You CAN make 2012 your healthiest year ever! I wish you a fantastic year ahead.

Patricia

1. Fruit spritzers.

Make by puréeing in-season, very ripe fruit such as blackberries, peaches or pears and add to club soda or fizzy water.

2. Chocolate milk.

Served iced cold it’s very refreshing. It’s even recommended as a post-exercise re-hydrator as it not only provides fluid but a little protein and carbohydrate along with electrolytes, minerals lost in sweat.

3. Ice cold water.

Jazz it up by serving in brightly-coloured glasses, using fun straws or adding sugar-free drink crystals. Don’t forget to garnish with a lemon, lime or orange slice.

4. Iced tea.

Make your own from real tea. Freeze some in ice cube trays and add to the glass so the tea is not diluted as the cubes melt.

5. Homemade iced coffees.

Yes, if you make your own and go easy on sugar, cream, whipping cream or other high-calorie add-ins often used by coffee shops, they don’t have to be a nutritional write-off. I make double-strength coffee and stir into cold milk for an iced latte. Ice cubes made of coffee keeps the drink from getting watered down.

Proper hydration achieves many health goals including everything from preventing overheating, headaches and fatigue to assisting in kidney function and blood pressure control. Unfortunately sugary beverages like soda pop, most fruit drinks and alcohol, popular summer drink choices, do not promote good hydration. On these remaining summer days, quench thirst with great-tasting drinks that are also great for you. Keep me posted on your favourite healthy drink choices. I always enjoy hearing from you.

Cheers!

Patricia

The body is made up of 60-70% water. The quantity of water that we need depends on several factors. In general, we need around 2. 5 litres per day, of which a litre and a half (6 cups) can come from various liquids (water, herbal teas, coffee, fruit juices, soups). The rest (1 litre) can come from foods rich in water (fruits and vegetables).

Obviously, these are ballpark figures only. The recommended quantities are a reference level for consumption and must be adapted based on one’s age, gender and weight, the temperature outside, and internal body temperature (physical activity effort, fever, etc).

The golden rule is the following: aim to drink sufficiently, regularly, and especially during periods of intense heat. Some suggest to drink water when you’re thirsty, when you’re not thirsty, and in between! Your body will process and filter off the excess. That said, don’t go overboard.

Here are a few tips to consistenty meet your water needs:

- Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink water. Once thirsty, you can already be experiencing mild dehydration.
- Drink consistently during the day, not only with meals and snacks.
- Keep a bottle of water on hand at the office or where you work and play. If you like, add a little flavour (slice of lemon or lime); be careful of flavoured waters that can be high in sugar.
- Choose decaffeinated drinks to help maintain good hydration.
- Be sure to drink water when you wake up in the morning because the body dehydrates during the night.
- Raise your water consumption during heat waves, a fever, physical activity, in air conditioned locations, and at high altitudes (for example, when you take a flight).
- Finally: be aware that water is a natural appetite suppressor, and the lack of water can lead to over eating.

There’s an important link between good health, healthy eating and hydration. Severe dehydration can lead to very serious health problems, so we mustn’t ignore it.

Excuse me for a second while I go grab a glass of water. Are you drinking enough water?

Patricia