arch is National Nutrition Month and this year’s theme is Nutrition: It’s a Matter of Fact. There is a lot of false and misleading nutrition information in the media and on food labels that can make eating healthfully confusing. As your registered dietitian, it’s my job to help you understand the facts so that you can make healthy food choices every time you eat. A wholesome diet, in brief, is one based on plants, like fresh vegetables, fruit, beans, legumes and whole grains, with fair amounts of healthy fats from olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado and fish, and small sprinklings of poultry, milk, yogurt, cheese or eggs added daily. Processed foods and empty calorie foods should be eaten in moderation. Eating the right balance of wholesome foods can improve your health and weight and help prevent most chronic diseases, while eating a diet based on nutrient-poor processed foods and fast foods can increase your risk of conditions like heart disease, obesity, diabetes and even certain cancers. Your overall diet is what really counts when it comes to your health, so don’t feel that any foods are forbidden. Try to eat by the 80/20 rule: eat well 80% of the time and eat anything else the other 20% of the time. But keep in mind that you are what you eat, and that’s not a cliché—it’s a fact!

- Jessica Siegel, Registered Dietician

Jessica is available to help you make healthy food choices and live a healthier lifestyle.

• Read Jessica's monthly
• Enhance your menu with Jessica's Healthy Recipes
• Don't have time to make it yourself? Stop by your local Gelson's ServiceDeli and pick up ready-to-eat Recipes From Jessica's Kitchen
• Look for Jessica in your local store and talk to her in person! Check the Nutrition Event Calendar
• Have a favorite recipe you wish were more healthy? Let Jessica work her magic with a Recipe Makeover. Call her at 1-800-GELSONS.
• Got a question about nutrition? Give Jessica a call at 1-800-GELSONS.

Here's to your good health from Gelson's.

The nutrition recommendations found in our newsletters are general in nature and are not tailored to specific health problems. Talk to your physician or other qualified health care practitioner concerning particular health issues or before beginning any nutritional program.