If you were to Google “how to eat healthy”, you’d get some pretty solid results. As I write this, the top links come from NHS, HHS, Self Magazine, Healthline, and the American Heart Association. Almost all of the sites offer similar advice: eat more fruits and veggies, eat more fiber, cut down on sugar, avoid fried foods like the plague, etc. None of these principles are difficult and likely you’ve heard all of these tips before. It may even send you spiraling back to a daydream/nightmare of your 6th grade health class. Why is it, if the answer is merely a click away, our society struggles constantly with weight loss? Taste buds aside, money is actually playing a big part.
I don’t mean that being healthy costs money…although crap food can often be cheaper than healthy food, but we’ll tuck that soap box away for another post. What I’m getting at is almost everything in our society comes down to a bottom line and food is no exception. We are marketed to relentlessly. Think about it: how many commercials have you come across lately for broccoli and tap water?? Probably not too many. Now, imagine how many pizza, fast food, candy, and soda commercials you see during just one show or sporting event. The ironic thing is prescription drug commercials are never too far behind….again, we’ll save that thought for another day.
So, let’s say you are above the temptation that’s blasted at us every time we turn on the tv or get online. You’re focused on getting healthy and being the best version of yourself. Wonderful! Good for you! Now…. how can money be made off of your valiant endeavor? Dieting and lots of it. Weight loss is made out to be this terribly confusing notion…..and that’s the goal. Let’s confuse everyone, so the new “insert trendy diet” plan will be the “easy solution” and the masses will buy books, meal plans, and research their ever-loving heart out. Let’s give this fad about five years and then a new option will emerge to start you all over again…..muahahaha! I’ve never done Keto, Paleo, Adkins, or any other plan yet I am bombarded literally every time I log into my Pinterest account. Now, let’s be clear. If you are on one of these and it’s your thing and you’re loving life, then that’s great! I am not judging or looking down on anyone. What I don’t agree with is the notion that healthy living requires you to spend lots of money or yo-yo diet relentlessly.
Now let me remind you once again that I am not a doctor, nutritionist, or dietitian, so please take my humble advice at face value. What I have comprised today is a handy-dandy list of options that I firmly believe will get you on the path to a healthier day to day. Not only are these tips straightforward and free, they actually will save you money! Making big changes can be hard so don’t put too much pressure on yourself as it may be a set-up for failure. These are baby steps that will ease you into a new (no-fad) healthy and happier lifestyle.
Drink More Water. Water is literally the only liquid our body can’t survive without. (Although, some days coffee comes in as a close second.) Think about it for a second, of all of the thousands of beverage options out there, water is the only we actually have to have. So, if you’re not drinking it, your body will start having all sorts of problems. We’ll let the health gurus advise you more on that, but I can tell you for sure that if you want to maintain a healthy weight, you must drink lots of water. I repeat….you must drink lots of water. So, do whatever it takes to get this magic fluid palatable. Squeeze in every fresh fruit known to man, buy a cup with a motivational quote on it, drink it sparkling. Whatever gets the job done. Your body often reacts to thirst by making you feel hungry, so there’s a chance you may actually just need to chug some high quality H20 before saddling up to another snack. Yes, you will have to pee literally every 30 minutes at first. But, as your body adapts it gets less intense. It also gets easier to carve out the less healthy beverage options as your body won’t crave them as much with the proper liquid going in.
Cut Out One Processed Item. I started cutting way back on processed foods about ten years ago after reading the Eat This Not That book series. (You can learn more about my journey in this post.) It is truly eye opening when you start realizing how much of what we eat is not actually food. Sure, it’s edible, but that’s not the same thing as the naturally occurring food that we should be consuming. If we were to eat purely whole foods, obesity would probably not even exist. Can you think of a single other animal on this planet that becomes obese?? Other than our overfed house pets of course. Again, eating way too much processed food and not getting any exercise…thanks to us meddling in their lives. We are the problem. The food that we’ve created in factories and labs is the problem. Over the years a multitude of chemicals via flavor enhancers and preservatives have made their way onto our grocery shelves. Your great grandmother would probably get lost in today’s aisles of boxed, bagged, and frozen “frankenfoods”. You’ll hear this term a lot from me and it comes from the Eat This Not That books and it basically describes highly processed foods containing a hodgepodge of hard to pronounce ingredients. Start changing your habits today by eliminating one processed food. Just one. Natural foods do taste good. Sometimes you have to retrain your brain a little (ie: eat those cashews instead of that bag of Cheetos.) Starting with one item will make things seem surmountable. Then, once you know you can do it, it will slowly branch out into your entire meal plan.
Meal Plan. Speaking of meal plan, do you have one, or do you aimlessly wander the grocery aisles? I honestly can’t remember a time of not planning out my meals for the week. Let me say that I am not a terribly organized person. I’m not a list maker. So this wasn’t something that just appeared naturally. I started doing it initially to save money. Fast forward a few years and it’s definitely a habit that keeps me on track with healthy eating. Meal planning is beneficial for several reasons. First, it saves you money. It keeps you from getting take-out food out of convenience because “there’s nothing to eat at home”. Secondly, it saves you time. You go in and out of the grocery store with conviction. There’s no distractions and you won’t be as likely to make return trips throughout the week. It also saves you time in the evenings as your not humhawing over what to fix. Lastly, it helps you stick to your new “love yourself” lifestyle. You have a plan and you’re not going to be thrown off kilter by clever marketing or last minute foods. Here’s how I plan out our meals: I sit down and browse coupons first. No, I’m not the crazy coupon lady who buys 30 tubes of toothpaste and then hordes them in the garage. But, I love online coupons from Kroger. It’s beyond simple as you load them straight to your rewards card. A word to the wise when couponing: don’t buy it just because it’s a good deal. Think about whether or not it fits into your plan. Next, I look at the weekly ads. You can find great deals if you’re able to match a weekly sale item with a coupon. Again, don’t buy just because it’s on sale but if something you use regularly is discounted, then stock up! Southern Savers is a great site that can help you with couponing and deal hunting. I use an app shopping list called List Ease that allows me to organize my items by section of the grocery store. This is such an awesome feature as I don’t waste time going back and forth across the length of the huge store. Finally, based on the deals for the week, I write out our dinners and put them on a dry erase board on the fridge. It may take you a month or so to find your groove, but you’ll likely never go back once you do.
Prep Fresh Food. The big brand food companies know that Americans are running at full tilt 95% of the time and definitely use this to their advantage. This is why so many options come pre-packaged. While not everything that comes in a box or a bag is bad for you, you have to choose very wisely. The key to snacking success is to prep your healthy foods ahead of time. Wash the grapes, skin and chop the carrots, go ahead and have some small glass containers and/or silicone baggies ready with nuts and cheese. If your kids have fruit and veggies ready for them (preferably at eye-level), they are much more likely to choose them than if there is any work involved….and you will too. When I let myself get too hungry, I will grab almost anything that’s within hand’s reach. Set yourself up for success by thinking ahead and you’ll avoid the sabotaging binges out of pure hunger.
Pack Your Lunch. Restaurants can be a landmine field of unhealthy options. You think you’re making a good choice by ordering the salad and have no clue that that “healthy” option actually had more calories and fat than the fried chicken tender plate with fries…true story…just check out the TGI Friday’s menu. By bringing your lunch to work with you, you stay in control. A typical packed lunch for me would be some homemade chicken salad, tuna, or shredded chicken with buffalo sauce and pickles on a whole wheat tortilla (I’m not a huge bread fan, so wraps make a nice alternative), some apple slices or grapes, and some cashews. Nuts are a great substitute for chips as you get the crunch and the savoriness without the guilt. If you can handle unsalted, then go with that option. (Hint: you will adapt to eating them without salt if you can make yourself start.) Fruit is something I’d say a huge population of adults rarely eat. I find it much easier to incorporate it into lunch, breakfast, and snacks versus dinner. It adds a sweetness that makes the meal well-rounded. Try bringing your lunch four days out of five and allow yourself one day a week to go out. It will save you money and make you more mindful of where you actually want to go instead of going just for the convenience. Make it cute with this bag, this container, and this thermos. This stackable option is really handy too. When looking for containers, make sure to opt out of the plastic ones and go with stainless or glass.
Pick One of These. The worst thing you can do is to jump into something on a whim, go incredibly hard core, and then get burnt out a week later. If you’re truly looking for a healthy lifestyle and not just a quick fix, it takes time for your body to adjust. Pick one of these suggestions and get comfy with it. It will slowly become part of your lifestyle if you give it some time. Once you nail one down, incorporate another. Don’t be too hard on yourself either as this can lead to an emotional session with your favorite therapists, Ben and Jerry. Encourage yourself as you would a good friend and congratulate yourself with each small victory!
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