Here are some important terms to know as you pursue a nutritious life!

Conscious indulgences: This means that when you indulge, you should plan it and make it count – make the experience special versus just engaging in mindless eating (or overeating!). Recognize that it is your choice—you are choosing to indulge—so you can feel empowered and good about it. Reframe your thinking so it’s not about “I couldn’t help it” or “I lost control” anymore!

Glycemic index: This is a measure of how much a certain food raises your blood sugar levels. Often high fiber foods have a low glycemic index, meaning they cause minor fluctuations in your blood sugar levels.

 

Heart-healthy fats: These include mono- and polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3 fatty acids. When they replace saturated and trans fats, these fats have been shown to increase your good cholesterol (HDL) and reduce bad cholesterol (LDL), as well as reduce your risk for heart disease and inflammation. Heart-healthy fats are found in avocado, fish, flax, and almonds, among other foods.

Hunger quotient: This refers to your hunger level on scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being starving and 10 being stuffed. Your goal is to always be between a 4 (slightly satisfied) and 6 (slightly hungry), so you’re never starving or feeling too full.

Hydrogenated oils: This describes the process of adding hydrogen atoms to an unsaturated compound, which produces a saturated or trans fat. These kinds of fats are associated with disease. Also check food labels for “partially hydrogenated” oils; these are to be avoided, too.

“I’ll begin on Monday” syndrome: This describes having a black and white approach to eating. For instance, you let a small slip in your diet on Friday night ruin everything and you throw healthy habits out the window, saying, “I’ll start my diet over again on Monday.” Instead, make every meal an individual opportunity to eat well. Sure, everyone has slip-ups, but when you have one, get back on track ASAP.

Insoluble fiber: This kind of fiber, which doesn’t dissolve during digestion, helps move waste through the intestinal tract and prevents constipation. Wheat bran is high in this kind of fiber, as are leafy green vegetables.

Nutrient density: This is all about getting the most bang for your buck, nutrient-wise. You want to choose foods with the best possible amount of and availability of nutrients; for instance, for the same number of calories, an apple with a bit of peanut butter is much more nutrient dense than a handful of M&M’s.

Omega 3’s: These are a family of polyunsaturated fats that have been shown to reduce risk for heart disease and inflammation as well as aid in weight loss. Omega 3’s include the acids you’ll hear referred to as ALA’s, EPA’s, and DHA’s. These important fats cannot be synthesized by the human body, so it’s essential to get them in your diet. Shrimp, halibut, flounder, cod and flaxseed are all good sources of omega 3’s.

Organic: Organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones.

Proportioned eating: This means that you’re consuming a diet that contains the right proportion of nutrients—carbohydrates (complex), protein (lean), and fats (healthy). Not every single meal needs to be in the right proportion, but the idea is that your overall diet will be well-balanced.

Satiety: This is the feeling you have when hunger goes away. It’s important to learn to differentiate between being satisfied (satiety) and feeling full (which can indicate overeating).

Soluble fiber: This is the kind of fiber does dissolve somewhat during digestion, though it is not absorbed into the bloodstream. It has several key benefits: It helps lower blood cholesterol levels and regulates the body’s use of sugars. Soluble fiber is found in oat bran and dried beans.

Trans fats: These are fats that are formed by the process of partial hydrogenation (the addition of hydrogen) and they are particularly harmful to your health, increasing the risk of disease (especially heart disease). Although a label may say a food has zero trans fat, look in ingredients list to see if it has partially hydrogenated. If it does, it means that there are still some trans fats in there!

Triggers & controls: A trigger is a food or situation in which you lose control of your eating (for instance, if you simply cannot resist eating a whole container of ice cream or if you always overeat at your parents’ house). A control is a way to regain power over a trigger; more instance, maybe you eat yogurt instead of ice cream or you bring a good book you’re dying to read the next time you spend a stretch of time at your parents’ house.

Whole grain: Whole grains are made up of all parts of the grain – the bran (the fiber-rich outer layer), the endosperm (the middle part) and the germ (the nutrient-rich center). Whole grains, such as whole wheat, contain more healthy fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals than refined grains.