Good Nutrition for personal, academic and professional success is a successful strategy that helps further your goals.

Does losing weight mean better health?

Not necessarily. Weight loss can mean that you take on new habits that benefit your health. However, all too often a lower number on the scale is seen as the ultimate way to better health. Depriving yourself of nutritious food to lose weight will not improve your health. At best, you will lose weight temporarily, and your health will be poorer than when you started.

Forget about good foods and bad foods.

This tends to make you focus on restricting rather than nourishing your body. Sure, strawberry shortcake every day will probably contribute to being overweight. But water and raw vegetables alone do not make a healthy diet: they do not contain enough calories and protein to fuel and maintain your body.

The important thing to remember is that getting enough of the right nutrients is just as important as cutting out the goodies.

The DASH(Dietary Approaches to Prevent Hypertension) diet is a good example. Recent research shows this diet to be effective in lowering blood pressure. By emphasizing obtaining calcium, potassium and magnesium form foods without restricting salt intake, the DASH diet significantly lowers blood pressure in the majority of men and women who follow it. The interesting fact is what when taken as supplements, calcium, potassium and magnesium do not lower blood pressure, yet when they are components of foods, they do. Additionally, many people following this approach did not have to cut out the salt from their diets. DASH is only one example of how food nourishes and rejuvenates your body.

Use the following worksheet based on the food guide pyramid to inspect your daily diet for adequacy.

The worksheet is a helpful way to realistically reckon with your diet. You may believe your diet is good because you limit treats, yet it really may be quite inadequate in essential nutrients. The worksheet helps you take an active rather than a passive role in changing your diet. You will ask yourself, did I feed my body well today?

Good Nutrition Worksheet:

Today did I have at least...

2 to 3 servings of milk or yogurt?
2 servings of meat , fish or meat substitute?
2 to 4 servings of fruit
3 to 5 servings of vegetables?
6 to 11 servings of bread, rice pasta rice cereal, noodles or other starches?

*If you can't answer "Yes" to all of these questions you have some work to do!