Back to Basics: Nutrition

"You are what you eat"

As the adage goes.  It makes sense since food and liquids provide our bodies with the necessary vitamins, minerals, fiber, water, and energy to maintain health.  Our digestive system breaks down nutrients so that they can be carried via the bloodstream to all the cells that need them.  So it follows that nutrition and health are closely linked.

Many of us have been exposed to good information about having a healthy diet.  We know that we should eat more fruits and vegetables, cook more often, eat less red meat, avoid fast food, avoid sweet or salty processed snacks, etc.  But really, it is not always easy to put the advice to practice, so we thought that we could share 5 tips that work for us, your co-owner pharmacists here at The Pharmacy at Wellington. 

Please note that your specific situation may be different from ours.  Before making major changes to your diet, you should consult your doctor.  As pharmacists, we can also advise you on food and medication interactions.

Tip #1:  Listen to my body

Our bodies do better with an eating routine ajusted to our lifestyle and schedule, rather than inconsistent mealtimes from day to day.  Some people prefer three meals a day, while others prefer to eat more frequently throughout the day.  We try keeping to our own routines since skipping meals can lead to overeating later.

Have some ready-to-eat fruit, nuts, or other non-processed foods for those moments where we feel like snacking on something.

Use thirst as a signal that our body needs water.  In winter, when we don't sweat as much, we try to drink water throughout the day such that our urine is a clear yellow (see the Australian government's urine color chart, link below in the list of References), indicating that we are hydrating sufficiently.

Tip #2:  Colorful and in moderation

We both like colorful plates -- they are appetizing!  We're not talking about artificial colors, but vibrant red cherry tomotoes, or dark purple eggplant, bright fresh green asparagus, the energetic orange of mandarin oranges, sweet yellow corn, ... and the list of our favorites goes on.  The more color, the more variety of vitamins and minerals.

Since we both grew up in families where food is not wasted, we clean our plates.  We have learned over the years to fill our plates only with what we can finish because over-eating can be physically uncomfortable. 

We know from our training that even good things can become bad for us if taken in excess.  Quantity counts, so we stick with "everything in moderation".

Tip #3:  Build long-term habits

It's important to us that our kids pick up healthy eating habits from us, and it's not easy since we work long hours.  However, we do model healthy food choices and we're both very fortunate to have mothers who are more than happy to help fill the cooking gap for our families.

We have learned that it is impossible to take care of everything ourselves and that we have a great support network around us.  This helps us to maintain good eating habits long-term.

Tip #4:  Pay attention to the source

Since we tend to snack on what's on the counter or in the fridge, we know that it's better to have nutritious food available rather than junk food, so we're careful about what we buy.  This naturally means that we do our best to avoid the snack food, processed food, and candy aisles at the supermarket, we grocery shop on a full stomach, and we try to spend more time in the fruit and vegetable section.

Some of our extended family and friends enjoy going to farmers' markets in the summer and fall and we've been happy beneficiaries of their harvests. 

Tip #5:  Be patient with ourselves

Those of you who know us know that we hold ourselves to high standards.  Of course we're not perfect, and we'll be honest -- sometimes those sweet or salty snacks fulfill a craving.  We just don't make it a habit because a) we don't always feel good after having them and b) we know that long term they are not good for us.

Our parents have also told us that it's when we get older that we'll feel the effects of how we treated our bodies in our younger years, and we know that is true.  We also know that it's never too late to start (or to restart with) healthy food and beverage choices, because our bodies are resilient and adapt quickly. 

If there's one thing we're learning from this pandemic, it's that many other things are secondary to good health! 

Let us know how you make healthy food choices -- or let us know if you have any questions about interactions between your prescriptions or OTC (over-the-counter) medications and food and beverages.

Your local partners in health,

Brittany and Nick

References and Resources:

• Mayo Clinic on nutrition -- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/basics/nutrition-basics/hlv-20049477
• Berkeley Health on puffed snacks -- https://www.berkeleywellness.com/healthy-eating/nutrition/article/puffed-snacks-healthier-option
• Johns Hopkins University on diet and health -- http://www.foodsystemprimer.org/food-and-nutrition/diet-and-health/
• Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 -- https://health.gov/news/202012/usda-and-hhs-just-released-dietary-guidelines-americans-2020
• Australian Government urine colour chart -- https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/urine-colour-chart