Easy 8: Healthy Diet Elements
Diet is not a dirty word; it’s just how we decide to nourish our bodies and minds. Stay with me here. Whether this is on the go, or surrounded by family and friends, each moment we simply make a conscious choice to fuel our body with whole foods and water is important, because every small step adds up to big changes! No matter what diet you choose, Mediterranean, intermittent fasting, Atkins, Paleo or others, this is a simple truth standing the test of time.
We all know that the elements of a well-balanced diet include eating plenty of lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, and drinking enough water! Using a new perspective to consciously choose healthy options moment by moment makes what was previously overwhelming, more manageable, and ultimately doable! At WEI8HT Release we keep it simple, while inspiring your creativity to overcome the inner battles we all face on the journey to reshape our lives for the better! Here are eight easy ways to keep your diet healthy at a glance!
Eat the Rainbow
Without a doubt eating a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits is the simplest option. You can certainly find a local farmer in your area, but you don’t have to, you can just shop the outer isle of your grocery store!
Drink H2O
I can’t tell you how many times I have heard my patients say, “But I don’t like water.” I will admit to being perplexed by this position on water. Water is pure. For this reason, it’s the only element to truly quench thirst, because your body is more than 60% water and all of the cells need this vital resource to perform their daily functions. They literally beg you for water! In fact, thirst is a late sign of being dehydrated. Often the initial signs of thirst are confused with feeling hungry. So, try drinking water first when you think you feel hungry, instead of snacking on foods.
Also, water is flavorless, fantastically refreshing on ice on a hot day and when consumed first thing in the morning it jump starts your metabolism. Drinking water prior to a meal prevents overeating. Drinking enough water lowers blood pressure, heart rate, promotes healthy, glowing skin, treats constipation, and so much more! Thank you, water! After learning all that, I think we can all shout! “Let’s GO H-2-O!” Drink water and beat the heat, and obesity! Plus, there are really so many easy and delicious ways to make water more palatable, the only limit is your own creativity, or perhaps the lack of initiation to just GOOGLE it! No, I’m not talking about adding Crystal Light or turning up your Cirkul. Adding fresh sliced cucumber and mint, or fresh lemon and lime, even sliced berries can add a hint of flavor or sweetness that is truly satisfying! During meal prep you can cut these items up for snacks as part of a meal, and set aside enough for quickly adding to your water throughout the week. Too Easy!
Plant Protein and Lean Protein
Many know about lean proteins like skinless chicken breast or venison, but it’s often overlooked that our proteins can and SHOULD include plant-based options like legumes and nuts! The possibilities are endless!
Limit Sugar, Fat, and refined carbohydrates
Some of the nation’s leading science-based service organizations point out the pitfalls of the classic American diet and continually set their aim to achieve healthier pre-packed options for Americans. As history has proved, making available “healthy” options that are palatable will undoubtedly take some time. However, there is a super easy way to limit sugars, fats and refined carbohydrates. Avoid the middle isles of the grocery store and the pre-packed, empty calorie options there. If it comes in a box or a bag, it’s generally loaded with salt, fat, sugar and carbs. Some of you may be wondering, “What about bread or pasta?” and the recommendations here may be A. chose whole grain options with 2 grams of fiber per 100 calories, or substitute them with B. vegetable alternatives such as spaghetti squash, leaf lettuce wraps, cauliflower or C. egg bread, or even corn, reduced carb or whole grain tortillas.
Portion Control
Healthy portions are no longer the norm. Twenty years ago, I can remember while working as a waitress in fine dining as a college student, we served salads with appropriate lettuce portions. The staff would always try to add more lettuce to the plate, and the customers complained their salad was too small. But our manager always reminded us that this was a healthy portion size, the salad was an appetizer (to increase anticipation for the meal to come) this was not the meal. Classically, a salad served prior to a meal serves to increase vegetable intake and decrease over eating, leading to the following ways to easily reset our gauge for portions. First, use a salad or bread plate. You simply cannot fit too much on a plate this size. Unless you’re trying to cheat the system and you pile it high, but we know you want to do better. If you don’t have smaller plates, then option number two may work for you. If know what a hand looks like, you can eyeball appropriate portion sizes. No, this is not a joke. Use the image below to easily memorize how much is a cup, tablespoon, etc. Lastly, eating to feeling 80% full is another good way to gauge if you ate the right portion. If you feel “stuffed” or uncomfortable with heart burn after a meal, you most likely over ate and working on portions is a good place to begin on your journey to a lighter brighter you!
Healthy Snacks
Having nutrient pack snacks at a grab is as easy as grabbing a handful of almonds, peeling a banana, or washing an apple, grape, pear or whatever fruit or nut you enjoy! Preparing them into individual servings can be done any time, even at a moment’s notice! Remember these snacks help to curb appetite and take the edge off extreme hunger, so that when it’s time to prepare a meal, you are fueled up and not desperate to eat just anything in sight without fully being present to enjoying the process of creatively preparing a meal and tasting your masterpiece! Leading me to the next easy element…
Make Your Meals
It is well known that restaurants are often heavy on salt and fat, while packaged foods are typically loaded with sodium and additives. Preparing home cooked meals are more nutritious, containing fewer empty calories, and allow you the opportunity to control the portion sizes. With a little practice it will become second nature to make meals in 30 minutes or plan ahead for one sheet baked pans, or casseroles! More on this in another blog soon!
Be Present
Making a delicious and healthy meal takes little more than to be present for, what most would consider, a plain task. Despite our popular culture’s obsession with food, and the abundance with which we have it, eating is often reduced to a thoughtless activity that we don’t want to consider after long day’s work, or worse an afterthought when rushing from one event to the next at days end. Being present is a conscious decision to invest deeply in the sacred here and now of your health, one small moment at a time, and restore the joy and creativity with your diet, and the connection with your family, friends, and community. With a little preparation, you can avoid this, but you will need to drop perfection and simply be willing to be present.
