1. Eat nutrient-dense, whole foods. Fill half the lunch and dinner plate with a rainbow of vegetables.

2. Optimize digestion. When sitting down to a meal, take a deep breath and chew the food. Chewing thoroughly is important for proper digestion.

3. Balance blood sugar. Allow one treat per day and enjoy it thoroughly. In general, avoid obvious added sugars that stress the whole body.

4. ​Do not eat fat. Add minimally processed, unrefined, healthy fats to the diet daily for cell and brain health and happiness. Like what? Coconut oil, butter, ghee, olive and sesame oils, to name a few.

5. Increase minerals. Eat sea salt; avoid table salt. Sea salt contains naturally occurring trace minerals the body is hungry for. Table salt is refined and only contains sodium. Minerals help the body’s nerve signaling and conduction.

6. Hydrate daily. Drink half of one’s body weight in ounces, not to exceed 100 ounces per day. Example: A 150-pound person should drink 75 ounces of water per day. That is approximately nine 8-ounce glasses of water or three 24-ounce water bottles. Drink clean, plain water. Coffee, tea and juice don’t count.

Kariman Pierce is a nutritional therapist and owner of New Gratitude Nutrition, in Tucson, and creator of Saturday School—weekly video tips to dispel nutritional confusion. Connect with her at 520-477-6204, [email protected] or NewGratitudeNutrition.com.