Easy Ways to Start Eating Better Right Now
How many times have you told yourself that you’re going to “eat better?”
You’re not going to eat any treats or “bad” foods. You’re going to do nothing but drink water and eat kale for the next month.
And how often have you been successful following that “all or nothing” mentality?
My guess is never. Maybe that’s because it’s never worked for me, but studies prove that when you make sweeping proclamations denying yourself whole food groups, you increase your weight loss failure rate exponentially.
Just sayin’…
Baby steps. There’s my secret to success.
Starting can be as simple as looking at your favorite foods and choosing a healthy sub. I am NOT suggesting that you give up everything you like to eat. I’m saying 80% of the time, make the healthy choice and that other 20% won’t kill you.
Let’s begin with Six Simple Suggestions to improve your eating habits with this and not that:
Carbohydrates
Starting with the big guns because who doesn’t love carbs? The issue here is that many simple carbs will spike your blood sugar, increase your appetite, provide little nutrition, and derail your good efforts to eat better.
Why do you think restaurants bring you that basket of bread before dinner? Because they like you? They think you’re cute? Oh no my friend. It’s marketing 101: bump the blood sugar and increase the sales. You ARE cute but limit your portions and try these swaps.
Proteins
Protein fills you up, sustains energy levels, helps build and maintain muscle, and will keep you on track. The problem with some proteins is that they are too high in fat and sodium. Make sure you are eating enough protein and choose your leanest options to maximize their benefits.
Fruit
Fruit truly is “nature’s candy” and it lives up to the title with all the pros and cons you might expect. It’s sweet, delicious, succulent, and packed full of natural sugars and calories. So enjoy fruit in moderation and try to choose lower sugar options eight times out of ten. (See that? There’s that 80/20 rule again.)
Vegetables
Vegetables are the superheroes of better nutrition. Almost every vegetable is worth eating but alas, not all vegetables are created equal. Load up on organic dark leafy greens, nutrient dense, and cruciferous veggies to get the most out of your plant food!
Fats
Fats are your friend. We have trained ourselves to fear fat, but it’s essential to healthy eating. When you see the words “fat free” you’ll usually see a whole slew of chemicals plus higher sugar and sodium to compensate for the missing ingredient.
Stop trying to avoid fat! Fat doesn’t make you fat. Choose small portions of healthy fats that add nutrients, improve flavor, and keep your skin and hair supple and moist. As a rule, your best bets are fats that are liquid at room temperature and or found in a single ingredient food. Simple right?
Treats
Life without dessert is not a life I want to live. That’s why my eating philosophy includes the “Planned Indulgence” concept and I truly believe that the best eating plan incorporates treats. But how about we choose treats that contribute to better eating rather than sabotage it!
The truth is that if you want to eat better, you’re probably going to need to make some changes. The good news is that if you weren’t ready to do that, you wouldn’t be reading this. Does change have to be painful? NO!
Start simple. Make it easy on yourself. Just substitute a few items eight times out of ten times and you got it!
Easy peasy.