Hey All!
March has been deemed National Nutrition Month...how exciting that whoever is in charge of creating national awareness has been made aware of the critical state of America. Knowledge really is power when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. And so many health issues can be curbed or eliminated if we know what is going into our bodies. I think one of the biggest problems facing Americans regarding our eating patterns is ignorance. We fall short in knowing quality ingredients, how they affect us (each is different) and how much to eat.
I would like to issue a challenge in honor of the Month of March; here are a couple options to choose from:
- Commit to swap eating lunch out for a "brown bag" lunch (make your own goal 2-4x/week?) If, you have to eat out, then commit to trying something new that is a healtiher option. *remember, salads are good, but dressing often pack a huge amount of calories. ($ saver)
- Separately or in combination with a "brown bag" lunch, commit to pack healthy snacks from home instead of hitting up the vending machine ($ saver)
- Learn how to read the nutrition facts on food packaging and apply the recommendations.
*portion control/serving sizes
*reading the nutrition facts
*personalized recommendations (very detailed)
- Decrease your carbs and increase fruits and vegetables (cake, cookies, bread, chips, pasta, rice, etc).
- "Don't drink your calories": decrease or eliminate your sugared beverages ; coffee, soda, tea, juice (make your own goal) ($ saver)
- Commit to try 1+ new fruit/vegetable a week (this could be fun!) Because fruits naturally have sugar in them, you still need to be cautious with how much you eat. Follow this link for help
- If you struggle with constant snacking try one of these 3 methods: sample
1) Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with 1-2 planned snacks
2) Schedule your snack breaks (no cheating), and drink water if you want to cheat.
3) Decrease your "3 square meals" and eat 4 smaller portioned meals.
Lastly, yet the most time consuming...
- Track your calories (here's a great tool to figure that out)
Some Tips!
Be tuned in to your body- stop eating when you feel satisfied, not full and not stuffed.
Spend some time exploring http://www.fns.usda.gov or choosemyplate.gov (formerly the food pyramid).
Set specific, realistic goals for yourself.
Don't do this alone! Involve your kids, spouse or a friend. Help keep each other accountable. Make it a competition if need be. And, remember, kids don't like change or new things. Don't give up on them, studies show that they need to be introduced to a food 10x before they make an accurate opinion about it.
Try a snowball approach. Tackle one challenge for a week and add on another each week for the entire month of March.
I'd love to know if you're on board with this challenge and what you're going to do, so leave me a message here or on fb. If you're interested in one or more of these challenges, but need some tips/help, feel free to contact me.
Now, time for my soapbox! =)
I do not believe in the word "diet". I believe that a healthy lifestyle comes from healthy choices, and the number 1 factor is everything in moderation. If you like cookies, great...me too, you don't have to stop eating them, but you do have to stop eating them everyday! You like soda, great...me too, you don't have to stop drinking it, but you do have to stop drinking more than one a day! The things you put in your body will dictate how you function, both inside and out.
The money you save on not eating out can be put towards the purchase of quality ingredients to cook with. Yes, this challenge is a lot less convenient and more time-consuming, but let's think long-term; how convenient is spending half your life on health medication and doctor bills? I understand that some medication is unavoidable, but there's a chance you can decrease doses in some of your medication, and if you're young enough, you can change the cycle. Making a few changes to your lifestyle will put you on a better track toward longevity. This is a much better investment if you want to be involved in life instead of watching life happen around you.
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