Cynthia Catts is a registered dietitian for a local private practice.

WHAT IS HEALTHY EATING?

Healthy eating is nourishing and feeding one's body with respect to the body's individual needs and restrictions. Too many Americans eat for reasons other than to improve or sustain good health. In my practice, I find mindless eating to be one of the main contributors to obesity and obesity-related disease. Only when my client learns to live, eat and be in the moment can she or he be completely mindful about nourishing her body.

One very practical means by which a person can move toward mindful eating is to learn the practice of doing one thing at a time, thus doing it with full attention. For example, eating breakfast at home instead of in the car, from a drive-through.

WHAT ARE TRANS FATS, AND WHY ARE THEY BAD?

Trans fatty acids are unnatural forms of unsaturated fatty acids. Commercially processed oils are full of them. They also form when oils suffer exposure to heat and light. Worst of all, they are created in abundance when oils are hydrogenated.

It has been made clear that trans-fatty acids are bad for the body. They drive up production of cholesterol and promote atherosclerosis. They also promote the development of cancers and degenerative diseases, increase inflammation, accelerate aging and obstruct immunity and healing.

HOW DOES DIET AFFECT A PERSON'S ENERGY LEVELS?

Calories provide energy. But different sources of calories act differently in the body. My natural energy booster recommendations are avoiding artificial and/or negative stimulants, including sugar, milk chocolate, caffeine, alcohol and cigarettes, eating a high-energy breakfast every day (for example, steel cut oats with berries and soy milk), snacking on energy givers such as fresh fruit, whole grain crackers and fresh veggies, and taking supplements such as ashwaganda, siberian ginseng and cordyceps.

ARE VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS NECESSARY, AND IF SO WHY?

Many Americans do not nourish themselves properly, and therefore do not get enough of the nutrients that are necessary for disease prevention. There are many specific supplements that I recommend for specific ailments or situations, but my standard recommendations are vitamin D3, calcium citrate for women, magnesium, omega 3 fatty acid and CoQ10.

HOW CAN A PERSON CONSUME ENOUGH NUTRIENTS WITHOUT CONSUMING TOO MANY CALORIES?

All of the required nutrients can be consumed without overeating.

A practical way to determine caloric requirement is to have the resting metabolic rate measured using indirect calorimetry. This number is the precise number of calories the person's body requires at rest.

A registered dietitian can then create a balanced meal plan for optimum weight and health management.