12 Steps to Better Health

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Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

January• It's Super Bowl time and time to be active and kick off a year of good health. Put yourself in training camp and get started on a regular exercise routine - find ways to have fun while getting fit.February• Be your own Valentine! Heart month is the perfect time to start getting back in your kitchen. Make it a goal to have at least 5 home-cooked meals each week that are low in fat. Focus on eating less fat and more fiber in all of your meals.March• Nutrition month is here - take a checkup on your eating plan. Are you eating at least 3 whole grains each day? Do you regularly eat about 2.5 cups of veggies? Or 2 cups of fruit? Do you vary your protein to include beans and nuts and fish and keep it all lean or low in fat? Are you getting about 3 cups of milk per day?• Visit www.choosemyplate.gov for more information.April• April is cancer awareness month. Eat a low-fat salad every day this month to help boost your intake of vegetables.May• Do a spring cleaning on your beverage habits - don't drink your calories! Try to consume more beverages that don’t contain a lot of cream and sugar.June• Fruit and Vegetable Month - let's take a look at your snack habits - now that all of those beautiful fruits and veggies are coming into the store, start eating more of them for snacks in place of packaged snack foods.July• Vacation - plan an active vacation where you can ramp up your fitness - get outdoors and have fun hiking, biking or hiking.August• Back to school - take the time to learn how to read a nutrition facts label. Compare labels when you shop and try to lower the sodium you consume that is in canned goods, frozen foods and packaged meals. Remember that a daily value of 5% or less is optimal for fat, cholesterol and sodium. How many servings are in that package? The serving size might be a lot smaller than you think for many calorie dense foods.September• Be aware of the calories in favorite foods especially when eating out. Visit your favorite eateries online and develop a list of items you can eat that won't blow the fat, calorie or sugar budget.October• Portion control. Are you upsizing or downsizing what you eat? Take care this month to order everything smaller when eating out. Use smaller plates in your own kitchen.November• Holidays are around the corner - time to come up with a holiday survival plan. Plan lighter meals and take lunches from home. Enjoy the season without going overboard.December• Give yourself 5 new fitness gifts - this may be exercise classes, a gym membership, new athletic shoes or clothes or home gym equipment.

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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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