This for That, A Day of Easy Swaps to Brighten Your Health

A successful day begins with a good night’s sleep, but many of us struggle with that. In a 2022 Gallop survey, 33% of Americans reported “fair” or “poor” sleep.

In 2020, Federal data showed that 14.5% of Americans had difficulty falling asleep, 17.1% of women, and 11.7% of men.

The National Institutes of Health recommends 7-9 hours of sleep nightly for adults and states that adults who sleep less than 7 hours a night may have more health issues. But it isn’t just sleep quantity that supports health; it is sleep quality. Poor sleep increases the risk of chronic diseases, including diabetes and heart disease, anxiety, depression, and fatigue.

Harvard Health notes three key strategies to support restful sleep

1. Maintain a consistent wake time, including weekends
2. Limit daytime naps to 20-30 minutes
3. Be physically active

Being consistent may be the most important thing

Here are some other simple swaps to support better sleep

1. Read a book instead of scrolling on your phone. We all know that blue light disrupts sleep. This can be mitigated with blue light glasses and night screen options. But scrolling through the phone before sleep induces more than blue light. It can bring up less-than-relaxing content, which scrolling does not allow us to control, and can lead to disturbed sleep.
2. Drinks matter—switch caffeinated drinks to non-caffeinated drinks in the afternoon.  When exactly? This depends on your ability to metabolize caffeine. Some of us do it quickly, and for some, it can take more than 10 hours to clear. Coffee, tea, energy drinks, or even chocolate after lunch can leave some of us with very active minds as we try to sleep at night. Track your caffeine carefully to explore how it affects your sleep.
3. Be consistent with your bedtime as much as possible.
4. Include relaxation in your bedtime routine.
   1. Herbal tea
   1. Wind downtime – no TV or screens.
   1. Relaxation or meditation time
5. Get the CDC-recommended amount of physical activity over the day:
6. 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, such as 30 minutes 5 days a week
7. An additional 2 days of muscle-strengthening each week for adults

Hydration

One or two glasses of water before breakfast can give you a positive start to your day. We all could use some fluid first thing in the morning – it’s been hours since we had a drink. Water will lubricate our joints, hydrate our tissues, and wake our intestines. Inadequate hydration can leave us feeling foggy and fatigued and contributes to headaches and muscle cramps.

So, how much fluid does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is:

• About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men – about 105 ounces
• About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women -about 76 ounces

These recommendations cover fluids from water, other beverages, and food. About 20% of daily fluid intake usually comes from food and the rest from drinks. Total need is influenced by our size, climate, and activity.

Drink Swaps

Coffee

1. water first
2. We love coffee for its caffeine, but along with tea, it has beneficial antioxidants from phytonutrients that are anti-inflammatory and help protect us from disease.
3. Know your limit! Caffeine affects all of us differently. If you notice that you are jittery, have an increased heart rate, have anxiety, feel hyperactive, or have trouble falling asleep, check how much caffeine you’re having and how late in the day you have it.
4. Watch the added sugar, fat, and calories.
   • Starbucks Strawberry Refresher with Lemonade Grande– 32 g sugar – 8 teaspoons.
   • Starbucks Caramel Macchiato – Grande- 33 g sugar, 7 g fat
   • Starbucks Latte – Grande – 18 g sugar, 7 g fat (2% milk)
5. Coffee Flavor Swaps
   • Add spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, chia seasonings, ginger.
   • Extracts- just a drop -vanilla, almond, peppermint, Cocoa powder
   • Go natural on sweeteners—honey, maple syrup, molasses. Chances are, you will never add as much as your local café does -even table sugar.

We get loads of added sugar in our drinks. Sugar adds calories and tips the scales towards inflammation in your body. It is hidden in many surprising places, such as condiments, sauces, bread, cereal, flavored yogurt, and protein bars. But drinks pack a heavy punch. Consider these facts;

1. 20 oz bottle of Pepsi – 69 g added sugar (17.25 t)
2. 20 oz Dr Pepper, 65 g added sugar (16.25 t)
3. 18.5 oz Pure Leaf sweet tea, 42 g added sugar (nearly 12 t)
4. 12 oz Red Bull, 38 g added sugar (9.5 t)
5. 20 oz Orange Gatorade, 34 g added sugar (8.5t)

To put this in perspective, consider these added sugar limit recommendations

American Heart Association

• Women -limit of 6 teaspoons daily
• Men- limit of 9 teaspoons daily

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

• Recommends a limit of 10% of calories –
  • For a 2000-calorie intake, that is 50 g of sugar or 12 teaspoons total

Drink Swaps

1. Club soda or mineral water. Add a splash of juice for a delightfully bubbly and refreshing drink.
2. Flavorful herbal teas, such as hibiscus, lavender, fruit-flavored, mint, and ginger—the list is extensive. Enjoy them hot, or brew your unique blends for iced tea. Sweeten with limited sugar and natural sweeteners.
3. Flavor your water with cucumber slices, oranges, lemon, or berries. This adds flavors and electrolytes.

Breakfast

A balanced morning meal can give you the energy to have a great day. However, quality, timing, and balance also influence this.

Breakfast Swaps

Skipping: The worst breakfast is no breakfast. Blood sugar goes down along with focus, mood, and enjoyment. Skipping meals can lead to rushed eating and poor food choices when you do eat with an increase in calories and poor food choices.

The best breakfast is one you enjoy. Aim for an easy protein-rich breakfast with healthy fat and some color.

Simple Breakfast Swaps and Solutions

1. The old reliable breakfast sandwich, but swap ultra-processed bread, meats, and American cheese for whole grain bread, avocado or olive spread, aged cheese, and a few slices of fruit on the side.
2. Make ahead egg muffins, frittata, overnight oats, chia pudding, and other items.
3. Make sure you balance protein – about 20 grams total – with good quality carbs, healthy fat, and color from vegetables and fruits.

Power it up

Eating the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables is challenging for most people. It seems they are the last thing we think of when preparing a meal. On average, Americans consume less than 2 servings of vegetables daily, significantly below recommendations. Only 10-12% of Americans reach recommended goals for fruit and vegetable intake.

Plant foods provide fiber, essential vitamins and minerals, and an abundance of helpful phytonutrients. Phytonutrients have important roles in supporting immunity, brain and hormone function, heart health, natural detoxification pathways, and liver, skin, and eye health. They also support our microbiome and are anti-inflammatory.

Eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables is not just a way to make your plate pretty; those colors indicate which phytonutrients are present and offer a wide range of support. Try to get 2 to 4 different colors of vegetables and fruits on your plate and a touch of each color daily.

• CDC recommends adults consume
  • 1.5-2 cups of fruit and 2-3 cups of vegetables daily

• The DASH Diet recommendation for a 1800-2000 calorie day
  • Vegetables -4-6 servings daily (1 cup raw, ½ cup cooked or ½ cup vegetable juice)
  • Fruit- 4-6 servings (1 medium fruit, ¼ cup dried fruit, ½ cup fresh or frozen fruit)

Ways to get them in

Bring out their sweetness

1. Roasting vegetables brings out their natural sweetness.
2. Chopped salad with broccoli, cauliflower and natural sweeteners
3. Add some honey or maple syrup

Make them more available

1. Wash fruits and veg ahead so they are less work to get on your plate
2. Chop, peel, or slice ahead – makes it so easy to pack in your lunch or snack bag
3. Stock your kitchen with fresh, frozen, and canned produce
4. Buy what you like and know you will eat with perhaps a sample of something new
5. Toss beans in your salads
6. Make a chopped salad or this Italian chopped salad.
7. Add to main dishes
8. Use legumes or starchy vegetables instead of bread or rice on your plate

More beneficial swaps: There is more to a balanced plate than vegetables. Let’s look at some easy swaps to power up your protein, healthy fat, and carbohydrates.

1. Proteins:
   • Swap sliced home-cooked chicken or turkey breast in place of lunch meats. My favorite baked chicken breast recipe is here.
   • Deli sliced roast beef or ham for ultra-processed bologna. Make extra and freeze when making casseroles, soups, and pasta dishes.
   • Beans or lentils added to salads. Or try a bean salad.
2. Starchy Carbs
   • Whole grain bread for white bread
   • Breads with shorter ingredient lists, such as pita bread for white breads
   • Whole grain pasta, brown rice, and quinoa for white rice and pasta
3. Fats
   • Avocado, olive oil, mustard, or Greek yogurt for mayo
   • Avocado oil or ghee for frying
4. Desserts
   • Smaller portions of your favorite thing
   • Frozen fruit sorbet for ice cream
5. Snacks
   • You can make your own trail mix with unsalted or low-salt nuts and seeds, whole-grain cereal, chocolate pieces, and dried fruit.
   • Yogurt parfait with Greek yogurt, fruit, honey, granola, and chocolate chips
   • Apple with peanut butter
   • Air-popped popcorn with grated cheese or your favorite spices.
   • Bake vegetable chips such as kale or beet.
   • Yogurt bark, another version

The Bottom Line on Health Habits

It’s unrealistic to expect perfection. I often suggest an 80/20 approach, focus on eating nutritious foods 80% of the time, and allow yourself to enjoy less-than-stellar food choices for the remaining 20%. The same may be said for other health habits. We will have late nights now and then; we will skip a walk or workout and overindulge in our favorite food or drink. We can enjoy these things without compromising our health when we look at our bigger picture and health needs and make informed decisions.

Every day, we make decisions that influence our future health. If you’d like to explore changes to reach your health goals more deeply, contact our University Dietitian for complimentary sessions.