How to get started on Your journey toward healthy eating

The first step in your journey is to find your “Why”

Do you want to have more energy to keep up with your kids or grandkids?

Have you seen your loved one’s health decline after being diagnosed with a chronic illness and you want to avoid chronic disease?

Do you want to lose unwanted body fat so you can move around easier, fit into your clothes better, and feel more confident in certain clothes?

Do you want to fuel your body with the right nutrients so you can build a lean, strong, muscular body?

Once you have identified you “why”, then you need to come up with goals. Goals that are vague and unfocused are unlikely to lead you to make any significant change in your life. Instead you need to come up with a written plan with SMART goals.

SMART goals use the following attributes:

Specific:

Measurable:

Achievable:

Relevant:

Time Based

Specific

Avoid general goals for more specific goals

“I will eat more vegetables each day”

“I will replace sugar filled drinks with a glass of sugar free flavored water”

Avoid phrases like “I will eat healthier foods”

Measurable

Pick goals that can be easily measured and tracked

“I will eat three cups of vegetables in my meals and snacks each day”

“I will replace two of my sugar filled drinks with water”

Achievable:  Pick realistic goals that you will be able to obtain

“I will cook one large meal on the weekend to use for meal prep lunches throughout the week”

As opposed an unrealistic goal such as “ I will replace all my meals with healthier options”

Achievable

I will replace a high calorie, low nutrient snack (i.e. potato chips””with a lower calorie, high nutrient snack (i.e. carrots and hummus)

Time-Based

Pick goals that have a clearly defined time frame

“Starting next week, I will eat three cups of vegetables per day”

Once you have made up your SMART goals, here are some tips to help you get you started in the right direction:

Cut yourself Some Slack

If you allow yourself to feel guilty anytime you give in to eating something unhealthy, you are more likely to get frustrated and quit before you have reaped the benefits of healthy eating.  Instead focus on making small consistent changes over time.

Focus on eating more whole foods

Eating foods in their natural form allows you to avoid all the additives that the food manufactures have snuck into the advertised “healthy food”.  For example, eat a whole apple as opposed to apple juice, apple sauce, or an apple smoothie.  Eat whole grain pastas or breads.  Eat fresh or frozen vegetables.

Avoid highly processed foods

Do this by avoiding the aisles at the grocery store and shopping at the outer perimeter where the whole foods reside.

Be more mindful with your eating throughout the day

Eat slower and more purposeful and try to focus on the enjoyment of the food instead of tuning out the process and thinking about something else you have to do after you are done eating.

Try to get in tune with your body’s needs. When you are getting ready to eat something, ask yourself “Am I truly hungry, or am I eating because I am bored or stressed?

Focus on nutrient density rather than calories

The same number of calories  in difference foods can vary quite a bit

Start thinking about the impact that certain foods have on your blood glucose levels and release of insulin as a response

Foods high in sugar or starches will cause a spike in your blood glucose levels resulting in the need for insulin release.  Over time this can lead to insulin resistance and increased fat storage.  

Try to eat high fiber and high protein foods before starches and sugars. 

For example, if you are eating at a nice restaurant, forego the fatty or sugar filled appetizer for a salad.  Then when you eat your main course, the food will be absorbed slower and you shouldn’t have as big of an insulin spike

Follow these guidelines and you will begin a new path toward healthy eating habits!