YMCA Healthy Living Magazine, powered by n4 food and health (Winter 2015) | Page 18

ZOE NICHOLSON, APD Zoe has a passion for food with one of her key goals as a dietitian being to help everyone enjoy all types of food, especially the ones you love, but may avoid because “they’re fattening”! Zoe does not believe you need to eat diet foods or deny yourself and will show you how to manage your health without dieting in her business, Figureate (www.figureate. com.au). You can learn more about Zoe at n4foodandhealth.com MAKING HEALTHY EATING SIMPLE Nutrition expert Zoe Nicholson shares her top three tips to making healthy eating easier. o you remember a time when it was just cereal and milk for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and meat and three veg for dinner? This was pretty much how my family ate growing up in the 1970s, 80s and 90s – and we were fit healthy kids. D The good news is that eating well does not need to be complicated. These three relatively simple concepts are one way to avoid getting confused about what or how to eat, and you can apply them to just about any style of eating. 1. Eat food because you’re hungry. 2. Eat the food your body needs. 3. Eat food that you enjoy the taste of. So let’s unpack this… 1. Eat because you’re hungry While this may seem like a no brainer, many people are out of touch with their 18 YMCA HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE WINTER 2015 appetite and eat simply because the clock says so. Other people are eating due to boredom, or in response to their emotions. You may also eat something simply because “it’s good for you”. You don’t need to make food choices based on calories, nutrient content or the latest food trend – and no, you don’t need to completely avoid sugar! You should eat because your body tells you you’re hungry and it needs fuel. 2. Eat the food your body needs Choose a variety of whole foods, such as fruit, vegetables, legumes, eggs, meat, fish; and minimally processed whole grains and dairy foods. While not everyone chooses to include all these food groups in their diet, if you do then you should easily get all the nutrients your body needs. When you are eating in response to true physical hunger, your body instinctively knows what it needs.