Eating for Wellness on the Outer Banks

Add a protein source for a perfect meal!

While we are often talking about subluxations and spinal decompression around here, there are other aspects of chiropractic that we can discuss. One of these aspects is eating well. Chiropractic is an over all wellness system, and eating properly is one of the most important things you can do to stay healthy. We recently discussed the effect of overeating and children, so let’s discuss some tips for eating well.

First of all, do you remember the Food Pyramid from school. that government sponsored chart on how you should be eating? Well, it’s been changed, and now offers a more individually tailored idea of what to eat based on your age, height and activity level. It will tell you how many calories to aim for in a day, plus how many servings of everything you need for optimal health. It’s a lot more accurate than it used to be.

When eating, try to spread the meals around. If your on a 2,000 calorie diet, then eat 1,200 calories at the traditional meals. Then pick up the rest in two snacks- one between breakfast and lunch, and one between lunch and dinner. This way your body has a constant source of fuel, and will store less as fat.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Breakfast is the first thing you eat after fasting for 8 to 12 hours. It’s also the first meal of the day, setting your metabolism for the day. If you don’t eat breakfast, you are going for a long time with no food, so the next time you eat, your body hoards extra as fat, just in case you go on a long fast again. That’s not helping you. Eat breakfast, and make it the biggest meal of the day, so you have plenty of fuel for the rest of the day.

These are just three tips you can follow for an immediate improvement in your overall health. If you would like more help learning about proper diet and nutrition, visit Dr. Craig McGiffin at his Outer Banks chiropractic wellness center in Southern Shores.