Your body is like a bank account. You don’t want a negative balance.

Your body is like bank account. The more you deposit, the more you can withdrawal without penalty. It’s the best summary of nutrition advice there is.  Make frequent deposits of nutritious, healthy food so when you make withdrawals, like a night of too many drinks, pizza and donuts, you won’t be overdrawn with a negative balance.

Here’s how to stock up:

The best way to be healthy is to buy healthy food. Simple as that. And what you put in is more important than what you take out (to start) so that you can begin “building up your positive balance”. The most important thing to add in is more veggies. When you load up on them, it leaves little room for less nutritious and processed food, naturally altering your food choices. So “Eat your veggies!” just like mom always said. And do it consistently. Every day and multiple times per day. Vegetables are natural immunity boosters in your body and most importantly, they fuel your cells so they work properly, allowing your body to function at its best. All cells have a job to do – some build muscle, others send important signals to your brain and protect your body from illness. Your cells can have good days and bad days, just like us. You can imagine what happens if your cells are having a bad day (low energy, foggy brain, blotchy skin.) Give your body the proper nutrition it’s meant to have and your body will thank you.

Three easy ways to add more veggies:

1. Incorporate them into breakfast. Broccoli/egg/cheese scramble, roasted asparagus omelet with grated parmesan, yogurt with chopped cucumbers and radishes (add salt, pepper and chives). When you start your day with veggies, you’ve already accomplished something great and it will become a habit worth repeating.
2. Have veggies as a standard side dish to most meals. I promise you this will make a huge difference in your life – both how you look and how you feel. Roasted veggies are super tasty and don’t feel like a chore to eat. If your dish at a restaurant doesn’t come with a veggie side, seek a replacement (look elsewhere on the menu to see what all the veggie options are). Be creative.
3. Designer salads. If you a person who eats salad for lunch every day – keep it going. If not – start incorporating more salads, but to keep things interesting, come up with “designer salads” to get excited about AND try making your own dressing. Designer salad toppings can be combos like roasted beets/goat cheese/walnuts, fennel, sliced oranges, poached chicken, grated carrots, red cabbage, chickpeas.

Start with this manageable step and then you’ll want to find more and more ways to continue your health journey and increase your “body’s bank account.” It’s an investment in yourself.