Eating Well

Eating Well Does Not Have To Be A Challenge.

JERF - Just Eat Real Food

  • Eat from the rainbow and shop the perimeter of the store to make sure you're consuming a variety of macronurients.
  • Avoid processed foods that alarm your digestive system.
  • No one macronutrient is bad, but they should be eaten in moderation. ACSM recommends 45-65% of calories from carbs, 20-35% from fat, and 10-35% from protein. Other populations, such as athletes or people with certain medical conditions, may require a different macronutrient profile. A registered dietitian can help you determine what is best for your body.
    Listen to the webinar to learn about what purpose each macronutrient serves in fueling your body, trans vs saturated fats, and more.

Ramon Sodano, M.A., CSCS, shares 3 principles to healthy eating so you can get on track today.

Find out more about each food group by visiting ChooseMyPlate.gov.

In addition to ChooseMyPlate.gov, a great resource to help track what your putting into your body is MyFitnessPal.

MyFitnessPal provides you with a food diary to understand your habits, simplified food tracking, and connects you to the World’s Largest Fitness Community.

Shop the Farmer's Market

  • Support your local community and enjoy the freshest foods.
  • You can even go directly to the farm, depending on the place.
  • Local Harvest helps you locate farmer's markets no matter where you are in the United States.

Co-Op with your community

  • Food co-ops can also be a great option for finding local foods.
  • Another benefit to co-ops is that they're worker and/or customer owned, but you don't have to have a membership to shop at one.
  • They can also be a prime place to find foods that fit your medical dietary needs, such as local gluten free baked goods to suit your celiac.
  • Local Harvest has a Co-op finder, as well as an events page to help you get involved in how your food goes from farm to table.

Dr. Michelle McGuire has her PhD in human nutrition. Dr. McGuire's webinar talks about how breastfeeding influences infant health as well as nutrient recommendations for children.

Childhood Nutrition

Webinar Highlights
Breastfeeding and Introducing New Foods
  • 8-12 times/day is normal for first 4-6 months of life
  • Feeding on demand is best
  • If using formula, look for iron fortification, presence of DHA/AA fats, and milk or soy based.
  • Start new foods at 4-6 months
  • Good first foods include iron fortified cereals, pureed meat/fish and beans
  • Toddlers and Young Children
    This is when attitudes about food are formed (may suddenly refuse foods)
  • Practice responsive feeding (pay attention to hunger and satiety signals)
  • Children mirror caregiver eating habits

Pet Nutrition

Webinar Highlights
Eating Habits
  • Most animals will overeat if food is left out, so stick to certain feeding times.
  • Pregnant animals don't need a lot more food early in pregnancy.
  • Senior animals require higher quality protein and minimal minerals to preserve kidney function
  • Cats and dogs can eat grains
  • Animals can have allergies too, including food allergies (only about 2% of pets seen by vets)

John McNamara, professor in animal sciences and nutrition at WSU, discusses what should be going into your furry friend's bowl.

Reading the Pet Food Label
  • Crude protein, fat, fiber, and moisture must be included
  • Ingredients farther down the list are in lower quantities

Plants that could be as close as your back yard can have medical properties. Kelly Ann Nickerson, an herbalist with an MS in horticulture, speaks about 5 herbs local to the pacific northwest that have a history of medicinal use.

Mint Family
  • Used for colds in a tea or bath due to sinus opening properties.
  • Also helps with bloating by relaxing digestive tract smooth muscle

Food as Medicine

Webinar Highlights
Bull Whip Kelp
  • Contains iodine, potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium
Hawthorn Tree
  • The leaves, flowers, and fruit are rich in tannin (astringent) and flavonoids (good for your heart).
Wild Rose
  • Rich in tannin
  • Also used for aromatherapy
  • Cardiotonic, vasotonic, and hypotensive
Stinging Nettle
  • Nutrient dense: iron, magnesium, calcium, Vitamins (A, C, K, & B), free amino acids, dietary fiber, fatty acids, formic acid, acetylcholine, serotonin, and histamine
  • Used as astringent, diuretic, hypotensive, and nutrition