March is National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month®, and this year’s theme is “Eat right.” What does eat right mean? It can mean different things to different people! First, and most important: know your own body. Once you know your own body, you can identify what you need, and then eat to meet those needs.

For example, if you are a woman with PCOS, you will likely need a higher percentage of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats than someone without PCOS. You may also have higher requirements for vitamin D, magnesium, omega 3 fats and other nutrients.

If you are a person with celiac, you need to avoid all sources of gluten from wheat, rye, oats, and barley. At the same time, if you went undiagnosed for a number of years, you may be deficient in several nutrients, such as iron, calcium, etc. For that reason, you may need to take supplements until your body has recovered.

Athletes have very specific needs, which vary depending on where they are at in their training cycle. An athlete who is in “transition” will need fewer calories and carbohydrates than an athlete who is in competition. Athletes also tend to have higher requirements for electrolytes than non-athletes.

Vegetarians who are vegan will very likely need supplemental vitamin B12, and may also need supplemental omega 3 fats.

As you can see from these few examples, eating right is not exactly the same for everyone. One thing is for certain, all of us would benefit from eating more whole, natural foods and minimizing our intake of processed foods.

The best way to find out how to “eat right” is to evaluate yourself and then talk to a Registered Dietitian who can help you identify what foods and/or supplements are right for you.