I want to focus on easy ways to add more nutritious foods into your diet and enjoy the taste of eating right. Let’s face it, eating right can be a daunting chore, but…you can look at it as a game. I like to think of it as a game with mini goals throughout the day. Life happens, things get crazy but food is something that we MUST fuel our bodies with so why not do it right?
I am sharing with you five ways you can add more nutrient-dense foods into your busy schedule that will increase your energy and just make you feel good. That’s the point of healthy eating, right? When you feel good, good things happen. Look at it this way, one of the most loving things you can do for yourself is feed your body nutritious food.
1. Eat a sustainable breakfast. I sound like a broken record right, how many times have you heard a dietitian or doctor advise you to eat breakfast? Well, I say it all the time, it’s not just for my own health, it’s because I care about my clients a whole lot, so maybe one day you will take the advice. Eating breakfast wakes your metabolism up in the morning, your body will start to understand that you are going to feed it regularly every morning so it doesn’t have to hoard and store all the food in worry of not knowing the next time you’ll feed it. I know the mornings are super crazy trying to head out to work, get the kids to school, etc. But seriously, this takes like 10 minutes. Do it. Here are some quick easy options:
- Raw Oats (GF if you are GF) + almond milk + cinnamon = Holy goodness. Adds fiber into your diet, keeps your heart healthy, full of B vitamins, magnesium and helps to stabilize your blood sugar. Start your day off right.
- Smoothie: Oats (raw), banana, almond butter, apple, almond or coconut milk or if you do dairy, 1% milk, blend it up and on you go.
- Yogurt, chopped nuts, 1/2 cup mixed fruit.
2. Warm lemon water before coffee. We’ve all heard “drink warm lemon water first thing in the morning” this is usually on any “diet” plan if you have ever tried one. It’s not just to make you feel like you are on a diet, it actually helps your body detox first thing in the morning and wakes up your digestive system. Today I see a lot of people walking around with gut issues, this is one way to get your gut moving and dumping out what your body doesn’t need. SO when life gives you lemons- drink warm lemon water, and then you can enjoy your coffee!
3. Pay attention: To what you are eating and when you are eating! The key to enjoying and actually tasting your food is to actually acknowledge it. If your schedule is anything like mine, I am always on the go – from meeting with clients, speaking engagements, planning meetings and oh yeah there is yoga in there somewhere, food can get lost in your daily routine. For the next couple of weeks- just take a second before you scarf down your food and take a peek at what you are eating, maybe even pay attention to how you feel after you eat it. Then move on.
4. Get cooking my friends! In this day and age there are more people who have no idea how to cook- let me tell you, I was one of them. Years ago, when I went back to school for dietetics I dreaded my cooking classes- I really did so I get it. BUTTTT….. I am telling you, now, I love it. Seriously I love being in the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong there are times when I want someone else to cook the food for me and serve me but most of the time I kind of like creating my own delicious nutritious mess of food. Baby steps – this is a journey – the more you stick to it and try new recipes, I promise you will love it, feel better and appreciate food as a fuel instead of a crutch. Check out this website: it’s a great place to start! http://homefoodsafety.org/. You can also find recipes on my pinterest page: http://www.pinterest.com/ onpointentr/
5. Explore new foods and flavors. I have experienced and witnessed myself and my clients get bored with the flavors and foods they eat every day. There is a reason for this! Your body LOVES variety! If you have worked with me personally, you know why!! So – branch out my friends, learn to enjoy new foods and new flavors, your taste buds are constantly changing so give them some new flavors to play with! You never know, you may actually like lentils or another food that you were against for so long!!
