How to Use the PreventScripts Prevention Plate

At PreventScripts we want to make having a healthy lifestyle easy and effortless.  The word "diet" is not in our vocabulary, nor should it be in yours!  Nutrition is broken down into six important components.  We have modeled our PreventScripts plate off of the latest nutrition recommendations from the United States Department of  Agriculture, the American Diabetes Association, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Practice, Center for Disease Control and more! Let’s get started! 

Water: Water intake is essential for our species as human beings.  The human body is composed of 60% water! Sufficient daily water is essential for each function of the human body.  

Benefits of drinking water: 

• Drinking Water before meals helps you feel full earlier
• Drinking adequate water boosts your metabolic rate 
• Drinking adequate water helps reduce conditions such as headaches, constipation, as well as impairments of mood and concentration. 

PreventScripts Pro Tip:  Refill your PreventScripts water bottle morning and noon for a total of at least 64 oz daily.  Add more water if you are exercising regularly! 

Whole Fruits: Whole Fruits are an essential part of a healthy diet. They provide an excellent source of essential vitamins, nutrients, fiber and water. Whole fruits provide a wide range of health boosting antioxidants and anti inflammatory compounds. This table from the USDA shows the amount of fruit per age group recommendation. 

• Apples
• Oranges
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Grapefruit
• Peaches
• Cherries
• Raspberries
• Watermelon
• Mango
• Tangerines 
• Pineapple 
• Bananas 
• Nectarines
• Pears 
• Figs

PreventScripts Pro Tip: Skip the juice! Whole fruits are best! A small glass of orange juice is ok, but eating an orange is better! 

Vegetables:  We know that vegetables are the core of a plant based diet. They provide essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, fiber and water to your diet. Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Folate are three key vitamins found in veggies. A diet rich in vegetables will reduce your risk of cancer, obesity, heart disease, hypertension. 

• • Broccoli
  • Spinach
  • Carrots
  • Corn
  • Tomatoes 
  • Squash
  • Eggplant 
  • Mushrooms
  • Lettuce
  • Kale 
  • Radish
  • Jimaca
  • Avocado
  • Asparagus
  • Endive
  • Okra

  PreventScripts Pro Tip: Get in the habit of making a nice salad to go with dinner daily.  

  Protein: Every cell in the human body contains protein. It is a key building block of muscle, skin, bones and cartilage. Your body needs protein in order to BUILD each of these cells. Your body also needs protein to REPAIR human tissues. Protein is essential for bringing oxygen into tissues. About half of your protein intake is utilized in making enzymes aiding in digestion and the regeneration of new cells. Protein is also utilized to make hormones which are essential for complex regulation of your body. 

  • Chicken
  • Fish
  • Beans
  • Tofu
  • Eggs
  • Nuts
  • Pork
  • Limit  Red Meat

  PreventScripts Pro Tip:  Cut back on your intake of red meat to once a week initially.  Then once you are more comfortable cut back to monthly.  

  Complex carbohydrates: Complex carbs pack in more nutrients than simple carbohydrates. They are high in fiber and therefore digest more slowly.  Whole grains are a great source of both soluble and insoluble fiber, vitamins, minerals and heart healthy lignans. On the PreventScripts program we include dairy in the carbohydrate section of the healthy plate because in addition to protein, dairy does contain lactose, a type of sugar which can impact your blood sugar. 

  • Sweet Potatoes 
  • Brown Rice 
  • Oats
  • Barley
  • Quinoa
  • Bulgar
  • Bran 
  • Whole Wheat Bread 
  • Whole Wheat Pasta 
  • Yogurt 
  • Skim milk
  • Cheese 
  • Cornbread 

  PreventScripts Pro Tip: Substitute Sweet Potatoes for White Potatoes.      

  Fats:  The "good" fats which lower your disease risk are the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. 

  • Olive Oil 
  • Canola Oil 
  • Sunflower Oil 
  • Soy Oil 
  • Corn Oil 
  • Nuts
  • Seeds 
  • Fish 

  PreventScripts Pro Tip: Cut back on red meats and butter and replace them with fish, beans, nuts and healthy oils above.