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Nutrition

In this era of convenience, it is not uncommon for the average person to consume large quantities of nutritionally lacking food. The last thing we feel like doing after a long day at work is slaving away in the kitchen, so we turn to fast food or prepackaged meals as a way to save time and energy. We don’t have enough time during our busy lives to pack our lunches, so we raid vending machines, make runs to fast food restaurants, and rely on unhealthy snacks to keep our stomachs full during the work day. This kind of reliance on food with little to no nutritional value has taken its toll on our society. Not only is obesity considered an epidemic, but diseases like diabetes are prevalent even in children, and heart disease and cancer are two of the country’s most serious illnesses. Nutrition and Health are two aspects of life that go hand-in-hand. Regardless of the amount of exercise you get, it is impossible to live a healthy life if you do not provide your body with the nutrition that it needs. The Central Virginia Family Physicians at PartnerMD can help you figure out what you need to eat in order to stay healthy. Simply focusing on Prevention and Wellness can make help you avoid certain diseases and disorders, and a proper diet is a huge part of the equation.

Not only can eating the right foods help you to control your weight, but it can make you look and even feel better. Those who eat the right foods provide their bodies with enough energy to power through their days. If you provide your body with proper nutrition, you will find that you can focus better, that you have more energy, and that your mood is more stable. When you have more energy, you’ll be more likely to exercise—another key component in a healthy lifestyle. When you eat right, you also give your body the ingredients it needs to produce a better looking you. Food with high nutritional value is conducive to stronger hair and clearer skin, and when you eat right, your body will feel fuller longer, making it easier to maintain a healthy weight. When you feel good, you look good, and vice versa. There is virtually no limit to the benefits of proper nutrition.

Though it may not always be possible to consume the precise servings recommended by experts, it is important that you try to eat as many servings of grains, fruits, vegetables, fat-free or low-fat milk and dairy products, lean meat, poultry, fish, nuts, seeds, and legumes as possible. Limit your consumption of fats and carbohydrates to appropriate amounts, and choose lean meats that are high in protein like fish and chicken. Try not to consume more calories than you can burn, and make sure that you are not consuming empty calories (i.e. calories that do not provide your body with the kind of nutrition it needs). Eat whole grains and foods that are rich in calcium. Remember that one of the keys to proper nutrition is variety—since each type of food contains nutrients vital to your Health and Nutrition, you want to eat as many different foods as possible. Try to incorporated a rainbow of fruits and vegetables into your diet, as each color—from dark green to bright orange—represents a vital nutrient. Perhaps most importantly, maintain an awareness of what you’re putting into your body. Find out how many calories you should be consuming per day and be aware of the vitamins and minerals that will benefit your body most. Start checking nutrition facts labels and making smart choices, and you’ll be on your way to a healthier lifestyle.

PartnerMD’s hard-working Central Virginia Family Physicians can help you tailor your diet to your body’s specific needs through our Holistic Family Medicine. Rather than simply treat the symptoms of unhealthy living, our team strives to identify risk factors in our patients’ personal lives—which can be anything from diet to work-related stress—and teach our patients how to live in ways that will eliminate or reduce their risk of developing chronic diseases. Each of our patients receives an Annual Physical Exam which thoroughly evaluates all aspects of his or her life. Based upon personal knowledge of our patients, we develop individual Prevention and Wellness plans that teach our patients to live in ways that promote Exercise and Physical Fitness, as well as longevity. Our Concierge Medical Practices in McLean Virginia and Richmond VA help patients cope with Care Health Heart, Nutrition and Health, and a myriad of other medical issues through personalized care. We provide the best technology, offer in-depth annual physicals, and are reachable by telephone twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. If you live near Arlington Virginia, Great Falls Virginia, or Fairfax County Virginia and are searching for Central Virginia Family Physicians or a place to get the medical care required by your company’s Corporate Wellness Program, PartnerMD has the staff, technology, and attitude that will convince you that Boutique Medicine is right for you.