Please enjoy another great nutrition article from our resident expert, Laura Tricarico!
After Labor Day, we heard many of you loudly exclaim in the gym, “Summer is over, now it’s time to get my nutrition back on track!” And we absolutely agree! But don’t expect yourself to do a complete 180 and be a full-time paleolithic caveman right away. Be OK with making small changes in your diet for the better, and the positive effects will snowball and propel you closer to the absolute best diet plan for you.
Now here’s Laura:
Change does not happen overnight, but in our fast pace world, it can be the expectation. Be reasonable about your dietary goals and slowly begin working on them. Making small adjustments to your lifestyle can ensure permanent changes in your diet. Participating in fad or crash diets will produce results for a short time, but will not encourage a healthier lifestyle in the long run. Instead, slowly implement one change at a time. Select an area you are in need of modifying the most and work on that. Once you have mastered the change, move on to something else. For example, rather than trying to change every meal of the day to your whole food diet standards all at once, begin switching your breakfast options from cereal and juice to two scrambled eggs and spinach sauteed in butter. Once you have mastered that mealtime, you are ready to adapt your dinners to match your whole food diet and then lunch.
This healthy habit can be particularly helpful with children and less than enthused spouses. If you take away all food comforts at once, you will most likely have a full on rebellion in your house. Making once change at a time, will not overwhelm your family and instead may gain their support if you are providing delicious and filling meals that help everyone to feel their best. Remember that animal fat makes everything taste better and that really applies to those veggies!
Keep in mind that your health and wellness is not a race, but rather a journey that will twist and turn. Maintaining balance means understanding there will be times you stumble and revert back to old, poor dietary habits. You have not failed, you are simply human. Your health is worth a second, third, fourth try. Even a small amount of success is enough to build momentum.
This healthy habit can be particularly helpful with children and less than enthused spouses. If you take away all food comforts at once, you will most likely have a full on rebellion in your house. Making once change at a time, will not overwhelm your family and instead may gain their support if you are providing delicious and filling meals that help everyone to feel their best. Remember that animal fat makes everything taste better and that really applies to those veggies!
Keep in mind that your health and wellness is not a race, but rather a journey that will twist and turn. Maintaining balance means understanding there will be times you stumble and revert back to old, poor dietary habits. You have not failed, you are simply human. Your health is worth a second, third, fourth try. Even a small amount of success is enough to build momentum.