We all make mistakes with our nutrition programs. The sign that you are moving up the scale of understanding the importance of nutrition in your health and life is that the mistakes are less common and the ones you make are less harmful. The following are the most common mistakes I hear from my clients:

Not eating a balance of protein, fat and carbohydrate at a meal or snack. This is most commonly done by eating more or exclusively carbohydrate snacks like sweets, candy, breads, dessert foods. Just remember to balance carbohydrates with good-quality protein and fat. Raw nuts or seeds, a boiled egg or some cold cuts will do just fine usually. Your energy and weight will be optimum when you balance protein, carbohydrates and fats with each and every meal and snack. Ratios will of course depend on your metabolic type. For more information on metabolic typing go to www.createvibranthealth.com/metabolic.htm

Not eating Breakfast. There is no excuse for this one. All it takes is a few minutes to blend up a raw fruit, egg, flaxseed meal, coconut oil smoothie or even eat some nut butter on an apple or celery. Would you leave the house without showering or getting dressed? Breakfast is a crucial meal that sets the tone for the whole day. Whether you want to perform well in work, school or sports; gain or lose weight, You must fuel your body regularly for it to function optimally and repair damaged cells breakfast is not optional.

Binging when breaking from their program. When cheating on one's program don't binge, rather cheat small. I had a conversation with a client today who told me of her binges on sweets. I asked her how many did she eat? Lots--a dozen or so of some peanut butter cup goody. My suggestion was that if she wanted to eat a goody, just get something that comes in single units, not a dozen. For myself, if I buy something not good for me I only buy one of them whether it is a carob ice cream bar, a beer or fruit that is not good for my metabolic type. I'll buy one bottle of beer a week and one dessert treat a week. I know bread is tempting for me so I don't have it in the house; I only eat it in a restaurant. The main point is to reduce temptation.

Not taking responsibility for your daily meals. In other words not packing your lunch and snacks. I strongly suggest getting a little cooler. The one I use is a Polar Mate, which I got at Target. They are great and along with some ice packs it is all you need to keep your food fresh for the day. Again it only takes a short time to prepare your meals. I use pyrex containers for food and glass jars with lids for fluids whether it is fresh vegetable juice, raw milk or water. It's easy to pack some fruits, raw nuts and seeds, a nice dish of chicken, meat or fish with some vegetables and of course a fresh vegetable juice.

A little planning goes a long way in the area of nutrition and health. Take the time to prepare for the day and keep these key points in mind. Soon they will be automatic for you and you'll be doing them without even thinking about it.

For more information, please visit James Jordan’s Web site, www.createvibranthealth.com.

By James Jordan, J.D., C.N.C.