---
title: 4 Nutrition Tips for Healthy Living
url: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/4-nutrition-tips-for-healthy-living/"
type: post
date_published: 2022-05-06
date_modified: 2025-08-01
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  @type: Article
language: en-US
word_count: 705
reading_time: 4 min
canonical: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/4-nutrition-tips-for-healthy-living/"
featured_image: "https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Calcium-Rich-Foods.jpg"
categories:
  - "Health & Wellness"
---

# 4 Nutrition Tips for Healthy Living

## 󠀁**Eating for Health**󠁿

As a nurse educator, I often see students and patients overlook or take
nutrition for granted. Do you know there are more than 25 essential vitamins and
minerals that should be in our diet every day? In addition, your body requires
amino acids, fatty acids and choline to function correctly.

![How to become a healthcare provider](https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Healtheir-Eating-Tips.jpg)

While many rely on supplements, I tell my nursing students that supplements are
not regulated and   sometimes are a source of nutrition misinformation. To get
all the essential nutrients from a supplement, you would have to sallow a
supplement larger than a baseball. In other words, there is no substitute for
healthy food. Our bodies need the nutrients in the right amount and in the right
ratios. Nutrient-dense foods provide that; supplements don’t.

How do we ensure we are consuming nutrient dense food? Often, we focus on foods
to avoid. Instead, start by focusing on foods to add that will improve your
overall health and longevity. Good nutrition is vital to our overall health and
can prevent heart disease or bone loss.

## 󠀁**Heart Health**󠁿

Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women.  Fortunately,
maintaining a healthy diet can vastly lower your risk of heart disease.
[American Heart Association](https://www.heart.org/en/news/2021/11/02/balance-is-the-key-word-in-new-dietary-guidance-for-heart-health)
recently released new evidence-based dietary guidelines to improve  the health
of all Americans. Recommendations include eating plenty of fruits and
vegetables, whole grains, seafood, lean meats, low-fat dairy and non-tropical
liquid plant oil.

If these recommendations don’t currently align with your diet, they can seem
overwhelming. However, a few simple additions can have long-term benefits to
your heart health.  A good goal is to add color to your diet. The best way to
get all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients you need is to eat a variety of
colorful fruits and veggies. Add color to your plate with the five main color
groups: red, blue, yellow, white, and green.

## 󠀁**Bone Health**󠁿

Much has been written and talked about when it comes to dairy and many diets
tell you to avoid it. Remember those essential nutrients? Low-fat milk, yogurt,
and cheeses provide calcium, riboflavin and vitamin D, which are necessary for
bone health. Calcium is the mineral most associated with healthy bones and teeth
and dairy is high in calcium.

![Calcium Rich Foods](https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Calcium-Rich-Foods.jpg)

If you are lactose intolerant, don’t assume you need to avoid all dairy. Not all
dairy is the same. Try Greek yogurt and hard cheese, which are low in lactose
because their production process breaks down lactose. For example, aged cheddar
has between 0 to 2 grams of lactose per ounce. Milk in comparison, has
approximately 11 grams in one cup.

If can’t have dairy, leafy greens, almonds, winter squash, edamame, sardines and
tofu can all be a good source of calcium. The important thing is to include
foods high in calcium in your diet.

## 󠀁**Food Choices**󠁿

These are just two examples of how to improve health. Other foods to consider
are lean meats and plant- based proteins that help maintain body muscle, skin,
and organs. Whole grains contain B-vitamins and fiber to convert your food into
fuel. Unsaturated plant oils, while calorie-dense, can add flavor to food and
give a feeling of  fullness.

There is no substitute for a healthy diet, so actively seek out nutrient-rich
foods to improve and maintain your health.  A diet of healthy foods contains a
complex combination of fiber, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and
phytochemicals. You can’t get all that from a baseball-sized pill.

---

![Profile image for nursing school leader at nursing college](https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JBradford_Headshot-2.jpg)

_By Jeanne Bradford_

Jeanne Bradford is a faculty member for
[Arizona College of Nursing](https://www.arizonacollege.edu/las-vegas-nursing-school/)
, Las Vegas campus. Jeanne has a comprehensive career in nursing including
serving as an emergency room nurse.  She is also a registered nurse.

---

_Information in this blog post is accurate as of May 6, 2022._

**Categories:** Health & Wellness