Good nutrition is at the heart of a healthier life
Good nutrition is more than just counting calories. It’s about building the healthy tools, habits and mindset for you and your unique wellness needs.
You will work one-on-one with a registered dietitian (RD) to help you create healthy, sustainable habits that last a lifetime. We understand that this might not always be easy. That’s why your RD will be by your side, ready to work with you every step of the way. Your RD is an expert in food and nutrition, and they’re specially trained in the science of weight management to best support you. They’ll partner with you to help set your mindset around food and nutrition and help you find things to eat that aren’t just nutritious, but also meet your cultural and lifestyle needs. You may even discover some new favorite foods!
Your RD will start by listening to you and discussing your current food intake as well as any struggles with your weight. This information will help them to recommend the best solutions and develop a plan just for you. Your RD and your entire care team will work together to make sure you get the support you need to be successful.
Mindful eating
Mindful eating is one of the foundational aspects of the program. This non-dieting approach creates a healthy relationship between your mind and body, as well as with the food that you eat.
The first step is to understand your eating patterns. You’re more likely to make healthy food choices when you are in tune with your body’s hunger scale. Your RD will guide you to eat based on your body’s biological need to eat, which can help lead you to nutritious foods that support your body and mind.
These changes take practice, but your RD will guide you in how to add them to your daily life. As you become a mindful eater, you’ll focus on nurturing your body, so that eating becomes a form of self-care that better supports your mood, energy and overall wellness.
Balance
Your body needs protein, carbohydrates and fat to survive. While everyone’s food choices are unique, your RD will base your food choices on MyPlate. They will help you understand the right balance of food choices in a way that’s simple and easy to follow.
MyPlate is a visual reminder to make healthy choices from each of the five food groups and helps you make sure you’re getting the nutrients you need. Your RD will help you understand how to build a plate that is focused on balancing food groups and nutrients. It’s all about ensuring that the benefits of healthy eating add up over time, bite by bite.
The plate is broken down into 3 parts
25%
Breads, grains, starchy vegetables
25%
Meats & protein
50%
Non-starchy vegetables
Add-on: Side of fruit
Moderation
Say goodbye to unrealistic diets. Moderation builds on mindful eating and gives you tools to make healthy decisions for a lifetime. That may mean eating smaller portions, finding healthier substitutes and rewarding yourself once in a while. Your RD can help you make mindset shifts to support smarter choices without feeling like you’re missing out.
Another form of moderation is to break down your plate into portion sizes. This doesn’t mean that you need to weigh and measure everything that you eat. Instead, we use a very simple system of measurement.
For example, one cup is the size of your fist, which is the right amount of vegetables you should serve on your plate. Other simple measurements for typical portion sizes include:
- 3-4 ounces: Deck of cards (protein)
- ½ cup: Small apple (carbohydrates)
- 1 ounce: Cupped handful (fats)
- 1 tablespoon: Tip of thumb (fats)
Consistency
By eating meals consistently throughout the day, your stomach will be able to better digest food and your blood sugar will remain consistent. There are also many eating strategies your RD will cover. One simple tip may be starting your day with a breakfast rich in protein for more energy and help feeling full throughout the day.
When you follow your plan regularly, you’ll have a stable energy source to help get you through the day.
For more information, check out our Getting Started Guide, which is filled with tips and tricks to get you started.