Have you wanted to get back into that bathing suit you bought 2 years ago but just haven’t taken the time to focus on yourself? Have you wanted to live more mindfully and really pay attention to what you are putting in your body? Have you wanted to just feel healthier and lighter in your own skin?? Well, this is the PERFECT month to do so!!
A healthy lifestyle is about so much more than just choosing to eat more fruits and vegetables. While that is important, it’s also essential to make informed food choices based on your individual health and nutrient needs. Knowing which nutrients your body needs, the foods that contain them, and how much fits into your healthy eating plan are all part of making smart choices. Making smart choices starts with knowing the truth about how your body ticks. I don’t mean reading shape magazine for your monthly nutrition tips (I used to do that back in the day) although there is often some good GENERAL information in there, it may not work for your body. It could actually cause you more health issues (it did for me). I say that, because I care and I do not want you to go down the same road I did many years ago that turned into a serious food phobia and rad eating disorder. There is SO MUCH misinformation out there on nutrition! My goal with my clients is to share what’s true, what’s real, what WORKS. I have a passion for teaching what is TRUE, I share why, how and what exactly happens in your body when you eat foods that your body loves, when you eat foods that your body hates and when you wait too long in-between meals. This, by the way, VARIES for everyone. There is NOT a one size fits all dietary plan, there also is no constant in fueling your body. You body evolves over time. It changes with environment which is why I feel it’s so important to really learn to listen to your body. Listen to what it’s trying to tell you via symptoms (I like to call them messages). This is an easy, never fail way to get back on track when you are feeling like something needs to change in your dietary world.
Learning your nutritional needs takes time, takes skill, takes LISTENING. However, understanding that Age, gender, body type, family history, existing health conditions and daily routines all play a factor in determining which foods we should eat more of and which we should avoid when trying to optimize our health. So, what is healthy for one person, may not be healthy for you, EVEN if the food is a vegetable, fruit, etc. Just because it’s labeled by the outside world to be a super food, may not be what’s true for YOU. Learning to listen to your body takes so much pressure off of you to keep up with all the new nutrition trends out there. Nutrition trends come and go, but what is true for your body will NEVER guide you in the wrong direction. Remember that the next time you are on all those nutrition blogs.
Finding the right foods for you starts with understanding what is in food. This is essential to making informed food choices while building an eating regime that meets your tastes, both physically and mentally.
This may sound simple, but knowing which foods contain the nutrients you need is the next step in biting into a healthy lifestyle. For instance, most people know that oranges are a good source of vitamin C, but so are tomatoes and potatoes. Dairy foods like milk are a good source of calcium, but so is broccoli. Fruits and vegetables provide fiber, but so do whole grains and beans. This is one of the best parts of working with my clients because all of these choices are strictly tailored to what their body wants. So, getting nutrients through a variety of foods that are going to make their bodies and minds feel and function at top notch. I use a blood test to weed out the shooting in the dark, so we don’t waste any time allowing healing while fueling properly. You really cannot get more customized than this, you’ll also never have to count another calorie again in your life. (it’s pretty freaking awesome, talk about freeing!)
Being mindful is also a huge part of creating a healthy lifestyle. Pay attention to the number of ingredients you are putting in your body. Reading nutrition labels works, but what’s REALLY important is reading the ingredient list. Ideally you should purchase 85%, or more foods that do NOT have a nutrition label, so for the other 15%, READ THE INGREDIENT LIST FIRST. The ingredient list is more important than the nutrient facts in my book. Rule of thumb: If there are ingredients that you cannot pronounce, put it back on the shelf, your body does the same thing, it holds onto things that it has no idea what it is, your immune system starts to fight it, in creeps chronic inflammation and weight gain. If there are more than 6 ingredients, put it back, 9 times out of 10 there will be fillers in there. Also, the higher an ingredient is on the list, the more of that ingredient is included compared to the others. This is a good way to determine if a particular food product is made with whole grains or has a lot of added sugar. I will say, most of the nutrition claims on the front packaging are normally half true, or maybe not true at all, so make sure you flip to the ingredient list and make the decision for YOURSELF!
Now, get that body moving! I’ll be honest with you, I am not a gym person at all. I actually hate the gym, but I LOVE dancing, yoga, moving my body freely, walking my dog… alllll kinds of things (as my nephew now says…) but the gym is not one. So don’t think you have to go to the gym to get your workout in. I love yoga if you haven’t already noticed that, the reason I love it is because you get a work in and a work out at the same time. Clears your mind, teaches you to honor your process, love your body no matter what, and did I mention that it gives you killer legs, arms and stomach?? Oh and it makes you HAPPY! I mean really?? Hopefully, soon, I will be offering SKYPE yoga classes! Whew!
Anyway, Most health benefits come from at least 150 minutes a week of moderately intense physical activity, with added advantages from increased exercise and intensity. Endurance and muscle-strengthening activities like lifting weights, yoga, Pilates, working with a resistance band or doing push ups are also beneficial. A physically active lifestyle offers you many rewards, from a slimmer body to a healthy heart. And these physical benefits are only the beginning. Additional advantages include stress relief, better sleep and even a more positive mental outlook. So get moving y’all! Remember, drink water before, during and after physical activity since dehydration can cause fatigue and impair performance. To maintain a physically active and healthy lifestyle, stay nourished before, during and after exercise. “Before exercise, look for foods high in carbohydrates, adequate in protein and moderate in fat and fiber, like oatmeal with bananas, almonds and 1-2% organic milk or almond, coconut or hemp milk.
I hope this helps you take a huge bite out of jump starting your healthy lifestyle, or even just pressing the reset button!
If you would love to have 3 months of guidance with this and the support of other women doing the same thing you are, there are only a few more spots in The Lifestyle Reset Program that starts on Sunday and is 100% online so you can go at your own pace with the constant support of ME! Click here to join us…
Cheers!
