When you think about the many diets that are marketed to the masses these days, the definition of “healthy eating” is extremely confusing in our food and body obsessed society. The biggest struggle when creating a new or healthier style of eating is the misrepresentation of what is “good food” in your diet.
With sayings such as “sugar is horrible, carbs are bad, gluten is evil, soy is horrible and dairy is unhealthy”, it can be quite difficult to know how to create a style of eating that works for you and your lifestyle.
If you really want to commit to a healthy diet change, skip the diet mentality. To keep your body in great physical and mental health, it is important to avoid any style of eating that is restrictive, extreme or rigid. Your goal is to create a style of eating that works for you for a lifetime. It’s important to acknowledge any underlying clinical issues (ex. IBS, food allergies, gluten intolerance/sensitivity, Hashimoto’s, PCOS, etc.) as you begin to create a diet that works for you and your health and fitness goals. Here are some easy tips to help you commit to healthy eating:
Plan your meals .
Create order with YOUR diet. If you really want to kick-start a healthy and sustainable way of eating, plan your meals and snacks ahead of time. Healthy eating is best accomplished in this order: plan, shop, prepare, eat. When you know where your food is coming from and how much of it you will/want to eat, you will feel more control over your healthy eating.
Eat real food.
Almost every diet plan has one thing in common – eat real food. Ironically, when people eat heavily processed or fast food, they don’t feel too good. Sadly, farmers have a quiet voice in a food industry overpowered by food companies. So, in an unhealthy nation that stresses healthy eating, look inside your daily meal and snack choices to determine if you can make a few tweaks each day to move toward a more real food, locally sourced, wholesome diet.
Create a positive food experience.
Eating should not be a miserable and time-consuming experience. You should never feel guilty, anxious or stressed when eating. It is important to have a good relationship with food as meal time should be an enjoyable and positive experience. Let your life stop for a brief moment when you eat. Make peace with food and as much as possible, eat at a table and not in the car, behind a computer or on the go.
It’s a lifestyle change.
A healthy lifestyle is more than just eating good food. Embrace the many components that bring happiness and good health. A healthy lifestyle means managing stress, sleeping well, staying active, moving the body as much as possible and reducing sedentary time, making “me time”, surrounding yourself with positive people, giving and receiving love, finding joy in a career choice, eating a diet that bring happiness and not restriction, exploring nature, traveling and learning.
