THE
EVERYTHING
GUIDE TO
NUTRITION
All you need to keep you and
your family healthy
Nicole Cormier, RD, LDN
Copyright 2011 by F+W Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.
An Everything Series Book.
Everything and everything.com are registered trademarks of F+W Media, Inc.
Published by Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com
This book contains material adapted and abridged from: The Everything Cooking for Kids Cookbook; The Everything Diabetes Cookbook; The Everything Family Nutrition Book; The Everything Food Allergy Cookbook; The Everything Guide to Being Vegetarian; The Everything Guide to Macrobiotics; The Everything Healthy College Cookbook; The Everything Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook; The Everything Low-fat, High Flavor Cookbook; The Everything Nutrition Book; The Everything Organic Cooking for Baby and Toddler Book; The Everything Raw Food Recipe Book; The Everything Superfoods Book; The Everything Vegan Cookbook; The Everything Vegetarian Cookbook.
ISBN 10: 1-4405-1030-X
ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-1030-4
eISBN 10: 1-4405-1159-4
eISBN 13: 978-1-4405-1159-2
Printed in the United States of America.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cormier, Nicole.
The everything guide to nutrition / Nicole Cormier.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4405-1030-4 (alk. paper)
1. Nutrition. 2. Health. 3. Food habits. I. Title.
RA784.C595 2011
613.2 dc22 2010039142
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.
From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations
The information in this book should not be used for diagnosing or treating any health problem. Not all diet and exercise plans suit everyone. You should always consult a trained medical professional before starting a diet, taking any form of medication, or embarking on any fitness or weight-training program. The author and publisher disclaim any liability arising directly or indirectly from the use of this book.
This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases.
For information, please call 1-800-289-0963.
THE EVERYTHING GUIDE TO NUTRITION
Dear Reader,
Throughout my professional and personal experience in health and wellness, I have discovered that simple changes in diet and lifestyle can have a tremendous impact. But determining how to make those changes can be overwhelming, and nutritional guidance can be extremely valuable. It's not an all-or-nothing situation when it comes to finding your body's balance. A few shifts in food choices and behavior can help you increase your energy levels, control your hunger, and manage your health.
Life presents challenges. Busy schedules, providing meals, and enjoying a social life can make it difficult to think of eating for energy. After seeing many of my clients get overwhelmed with meal plans, food shopping, label reading, and recipes during their quest for wellness, it became clear that they needed simple tools to guide them through their journey. Many people have an idea of how to make better food choices, but with more than 15,000 new food products being introduced into our food supply every year and the marketing gimmicks that go along with them frustration and confusion can result. Additionally, every day we hear about new fad diets that sidetrack us and prevent us from learning more about basic nutrition.
I hope this book will give you an abundance of ideas about what to eat that is delicious, easy to make, and provides the energy you need. You'll learn small changes you can apply every day to improve your life. It's time to let go of all those negative connections to food and rebuild an incredible and manageable experience for your health.
Yours in good health,
Welcome to the EVERYTHING Series!
These handy, accessible books give you all you need to tackle a difficult project, gain a new hobby, comprehend a fascinating topic, prepare for an exam, or even brush up on something you learned back in school but have since forgotten.
You can choose to read an Everything book from cover to cover or just pick out the information you want from our four useful boxes:e-questions, e-facts, e-alerts, and e-ssentials. We give you everything you need to know on the subject, but throw in a lot of fun stuff along the way, too.
We now have more than 400 Everything books in print, spanning such wide-ranging categories as weddings, pregnancy, cooking, music instruction, foreign language, crafts, pets, New Age, and so much more. When you're done reading them all, you can finally say you know Everything!
Answers to common questions
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PUBLISHER Karen Cooper
DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITIONS AND INNOVATION Paula Munier
MANAGING EDITOR, EVERYTHING SERIES Lisa Laing
COPY CHIEF Casey Ebert
ACQUISITIONS AND DEVELOPMENT EDITOR Katrina Schroeder
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Ross Weisman
EVERYTHING SERIES COVER DESIGNER Erin Alexander
LAYOUT DESIGNERS Colleen Cunningham, Elisabeth Lariviere, Ashley Vierra, Denise Wallace
Visit the entire Everything series at www.everything.com
Dedicated to my family and friends who have supported my projects, workshops, and career over the years
Acknowledgments
I would like to give a special thanks to all the clients and patients I've had the opportunity to work with during the past five years. You've truly inspired me to continue my career as a registered dietitian and nutrition counselor. I am so grateful to have been a part of each of your journeys toward a healthier lifestyle.
Top 10 Reasons Why Understanding Basic Nutrition Can Improve Your Life
Basic nutrition focuses on regulating blood sugars, which is important in managing your energy levels, hunger, and weight.
Consuming nutrient-dense unprocessed foods without added solid fats, sugars, starches, or sodium can improve and prevent chronic diseases.
Lifestyle changes alone can decrease, or even eliminate, the need for several medications related to cholesterol levels, blood pressure, diabetes, and depression, resulting in fewer side effects.
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