Why is Nutrition Important? What you eat affects: Your Athletic Performance: muscle mass, energy levels Your Appearance: hair, skin, weight, body composition The Length & Quality of Your Life: Reduces your risk for major chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, and stroke. Your Everyday Activities: Your energy levels Your Mental Health: Reduces risk for depression, increases mental focus

The Best Eating Strategy Eat Breakfast!! Eat small meals throughout the day to avoid “starving hunger” Avoid foods that are high in added sugar Avoid “white” foods (rice, potatoes, bread) and eat whole grain Pick nutrient dense foods and not empty-calorie foods Eat a fruit and/or vegetable at every meal Avoid foods high in sodium, saturated fat, & cholesterol

Empty Calorie Foods High in calories and no nutritional value High in calories with little nutritional value

Sugar Content Coca Cola 12 oz (355 ml) Can Sugars, total: 39g Calories, total: 140 Calories from sugar: 140* 20 oz (590 ml) Bottle Sugars, total: 65g Calories, total: 240 Calories from sugar: Liter (34 oz) Bottle Sugars, total: 108g Calories, total: 400 Calories from sugar: 400

Nutrient Dense Foods Nutrient-dense foods have a high nutrient/calorie ratio. Meaning they are rich in nutrients when compared to their calorie content. All fresh fruits and vegetables, salmon, tuna, trout, low-fat dairy products, oatmeal and whole grains, soy, and dry beans (kidney, black, etc.)

Weight Loss Weight loss comes down to one thing: you must burn more calories than you consume. In order to lose 1 pound of fat, you must burn 3500 calories more than you consume. To gain a pound of fat you will have an excess of 3500 calories.

If you are...Your caloric balance status is... Maintaining your weight"in balance." You are eating roughly the same number of calories that your body is using. Your weight will remain stable. Gaining weight"in caloric excess." You are eating more calories than your body is using. You will store these extra calories as fat and you'll gain weight. Losing weight"in caloric deficit." You are eating fewer calories than you are using. Your body is pulling from its fat storage cells for energy, so your weight is decreasing.

Calories come from drinks too!!! If you were to have 1 Starbucks Venti Caramel Frappuccino® Blended Coffee each day of the week and you did not burn off those extra calories—you would gain a pound of fat!!!!

Eating Right for You!

Getting a Personalized Plan Click on Get a Personalized Plan (in the upper right hand corner) and fill out the information that it asks for and then hit submit. Then under View, Print and Learn More, on the right side of the page under the pyramid: Click the second one under the pyramid that says Meal Tracking Worksheet.