National Nutrition Month

It’s that time of year again where we pick up our forks and….wait, isn’t that like every other month? I feel like we are constantly celebrating holidays with food of course. I love that this year’s theme for National Nutrition Month is ” Savor the Flavor of Eating Right”. This means so many things! The first thing that comes to mind is really appreciating the amazing flavors of our food. I’m personally going to take this month to explore flavors from other cultures that I’m less familiar with, such as Thai cuisine. It’s definitely possible to enjoy some really great, flavorful food and maintain a healthy diet. As I mentioned earlier, we are usually celebrating with food and that has become engrained in our cultural traditions. This has a huge social component and often people have emotional ties to foods. For some it may not be Christmas without grandma’s noodles! For others, the combination of social situations and food may lead to anxiety and avoidance. This month is your month to focus on enjoying the social aspect, have more meals with friends or family, maybe prepare your own healthy dish, and foster a positive social environment around foods. Lastly, “savoring” the flavor highlights mindful eating and how, when, and why we eat are important factors to consider when thinking about our nutrition. Do you eat in a hurry in your car, mindlessly in front of the tv, or maybe don’t really eat all day and have large meals at night. These are all factors to be conscious of to understand why your not reaching your goals and the deeper behavioral patterns that can affect your health. So here’s to day #1 of focusing on your nutrition! In Good Health,