Good health starts with practicing body love. "Be nice to you," says NOW Wellness Expert DJ Blatner, a registered dietitian nutritionist and author of the popular book "The Flexitarian Diet." Blatner's philosophy is that positive changes start when you focus on being kind to your body instead of judging it.
Blatner advocates making simple, positive changes one at a time, and doing what works for your lifestyle. "Focusing on change that is complicated or feels like a drag is a recipe for failure," she says. Instead, she recommends starting by making fun, easy changes that get you excited about caring for your body.
A NOW Wellness Expert's Nutrition Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle
Ready to show your body some love? Try Blatner's six simple tips and daily hacks to improve your nutrition.
1. Upgrade your coffee. Skip the traditional coffee creamers, which are usually loaded with sugar but low in nutritional content. Instead, make a coconut collagen creamer. Blatner recommends mixing one tablespoon each of NOW® Collagen Peptides Powder and NOW Real Food® Organic Coconut Milk Powder and stirring it into your coffee. Collagen promotes youthful skin hydration and elasticity and may support bone and joint health.* "The coconut milk powder adds creamy thickness for a rich, tasty drink," Blatner says.
2. Power up your breakfast. Protein supports muscle growth and tissue health. Plus, it helps you feel fuller longer. Add protein to your breakfast to stave off mid-morning cravings by stirring a scoop of creamy vanilla NOW® Sports Plant Protein Complex into your oatmeal. This vegan protein powder is a blend of pea, quinoa, and hemp protein that supports energy levels. Not in the mood for oatmeal? "Add it to smoothies, pancake batter or even your favorite banana bread recipe," Blatner recommends.
3. Put seeds in a shaker bottle. "Seeds like chia, flax and hemp are superfoods that are rich in fat, fiber, and protein," Blatner explains. NOW Real Food® Organic Triple Omega Seed Mix is a mix of all three of these super seeds. "Keep the mix in a shaker bottle on your kitchen counter so you can easily shake them in your smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, sliced fruit, salads, and baked goods."
4. Make a wellness shot. "Whenever I'm feeling a little run down, I love to mix one dropper full of NOW® Turmeric Liquid Extract in a glass of warm water with a sprinkle of black pepper," Blatner says. Research suggests that curcumin, an active ingredient in turmeric, appears to have health-supporting properties.* "After drinking the shot, I usually eat an orange wedge for additional immune-supporting vitamin C and for added fun."
5. Add a little sweetness. Have a sweet tooth? Make your smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, tea, or mocktails a little sweeter without the added sugar with NOW Real Food® Organic Monk Fruit Liquid. Monk fruit is a natural sweetener that is 200 times sweeter than sugar. Yet, it has zero calories and zero grams of sugar to help you maintain a healthy weight without sacrificing taste.
6. Meal prep for easy lunches. Build the foundation for healthy, tasty lunch bowls. "Make a big batch of NOW Real Food® Organic Tri-Color Quinoa and keep it handy in the fridge," Blatner suggests. Quinoa is a good source of fiber, which promotes healthy digestion and makes you feel fuller longer. This healthy grain, which has grown in popularity in the past several years, is also a good source of essential vitamins and minerals, including iron. Blatner recommends topping your quinoa bowl with your favorite vegetables, protein, and dressing for a superfood lunch in just a few minutes.
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
