Simple ways to add nutritional value to your daily life

Good nutrition advice is always worth paying attention to, especially during Good Nutrition Month.

So before it's Thanksgiving and any healthy thoughts go out the window (not that all Thanksgiving foods are bad for you!), here are some tips from nutritionist and author Keri Glassman.

Glassman, a New York City resident and a nationally recognized nutrition expert, promotes health and wellness through her services company Nutritious Life.

Not only does this soothing beverage pack antioxidant power from vitamin C, but it has psychological benefits as well. Starting your day with hot water and lemon gets you in a healthful mindset to commit to eating well for the rest of the day.

By eating a healthy, filling breakfast, you are a laying a good foundation for the day. Start your day with a well-balanced breakfast consisting of fiber, healthy fat and protein.

Assess your hunger quotient (HQ) by asking yourself, "On a scale of 1 to 10, how hungry am I?" If the answer is 6 (slightly hungry), go ahead and make a healthy choice. When you are at 4 (slightly satisfied). stop eating.

When you're not properly hydrated, your body often thinks it needs food when it's really craving fluid. Before you reach for a snack, have a glass of water and then re-evaluate how hungry you are. Mix up your H2O routine by adding berries, cucumber or lemon for a burst of flavor.

Adding a green veggie to each meal is a great way to get in loads of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, C and magnesium, or even calcium. Greens are also a good source of water and fiber, both of which help to keep you full. Try adding spinach to a scramble, kale to soup, and an arugula salad to start each dinner.

Taking time is one of the best ways to reduce stress. Stress increases the hormone cortisol, which causes cravings for carbs and stores fat around your tummy.

Studies have shown that people who sleep more tend to maintain a healthier weight than people who skimp on their Z's. When you don't get the eight hours of nightly sleep you need, your levels of leptin, the hormone that tells the brain when you're full, drop, and your levels of ghrelin, an appetite-stimulating hormone, rise, causing you to overeat and ultimately gain weight.