The Oaks at Ojai (California)

There are some simple strategies that we can implement to make our overall choices with Nutritional Intake more successful.

*Exchange the word "nutrition" for the word "food" when you're hungry. If you tell yourself that you need nutrition, you will be less likely to ingest any old thing that you may call food, but is not really giving your body anything good!

*Drink before you Eat. Sometimes we "feed" our thirst. We eat something sweet or salty when really all our body wanted was some water! Crazy, but true. The more you give in to the sweet/salty taste buds, the more they want...when you have the munchies, try drinking 8 oz. of water, then wait 10 minutes or so, and see if you're really hungry, or if the water was all your body was asking for!

*Be Civilized! Use a plate, don't ever eat right out of the original container. You are way more likely to eat more than you need. Be a Conscious Consumer, understand what a right portion is and use a SMALL plate! Psychologically, we feel better about a small plate being full than a large plate with a small amount! Sit down when you eat, and eat slowly, also. (Chew. Your stomach doesn't have teeth....).

*Shop Smart. Don't even buy stuff that you know will present a temptation and a problem to you. Set your Standards with food before the Situation Arises!

*Portion Control is tricky. Consider making snacks for your week that are pre portioned so you can grab n go...(10 almonds mixed with 1/4 cup raisins, for instance. Small containers of plain yogurt with 1/4 cup whole grain/lowfat granola ready to mix, etc.).

*Watch the Booze! We can get into habits with alcohol that are not helping our healthy habits much. If you are drinking alcohol every night, try cutting back. If you're drinking 2 glasses of wine a night, for instance, cut down to one for the first week. Week two, go to one glass 4 nights a week. Week three, 3 nights, 1 glass. You'll be cutting calories and I PROMISE you that you'll savor that one glass every other day WAY more than the 2 per night that have become a boring habit.

*Think before you Drink...If you are trying to change your food habits, you HAVE to look at your drinking habits as well. It's not just alcohol. THINK before you DRINK- what's the sugar level? Would water be a better choice? Soda's are bad. They stimulate the sweet tooth, are high in calories, (if they're low in calories you're taking in a nasty, fake sweetener that is no good), the carbonation is a bone robber, and you'd be better off with water. Coffee drinks- you know the drill. Too much caffeine is no good...again, you're better with water. Iced Tea? Sun brew your own CAFFEINE FREE HERBAL TEA....Need a boost? Try drinking a sparkling water (non sweetened) in your very best wine glass. Add a twist of lemon or lime and live it up! Sometimes it's about the vessel more than the beverage.

Find ways to make your choices more fun!

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