Nutrition should not be complicated! But many people make it out to be and start making excuses on why they do not reach their goals! Bottom line is…follow these little tips to make your nutrition journey a little bit easier!
Don’t drink your calories
A coffee from the coffee shop might as well be a giant slab of cake… a venti size frappuccino with whipped cream at Starbucks can have as many as 600 (!) calories. Alcoholic drinks are all empty calories (meaning you get no nutritional value) plus consuming alcohol in excess can cause you to make poor food choices. Fruit juice, while natural, is liquid sugar! Water or unsweetened tea is your best bet. Check the labels!
Drink water with every meal
Hunger can often masquerade as thirst. You may feel that you are still hungry, but really you just need some water, so drink a tall glass with every meal. If you can’t decide if you need a snack or not, drink a glass of water and wait 20 minutes before going for the snack. If plain water is too boring, try infusing your water with fruit. Use a shaker bottle, add a few pieces of frozen fruit and you have a cold, lower sugar, flavorful drink.
Eat veggies with every meal
Mom said veggies are good for you and turns out she was right. Not only are you getting a boatload of nutrients and vitamins, but the water and fiber content of the veggies keeps you feeling fuller for longer. Try sautéing vegetables, like zucchini and onions, and seasoning with salt and pepper and fresh herbs like chopped thyme or tarragon. When in a pinch grab a bag of baby carrots, snap peas, or green beans. Almost all supermarkets have washed and packaged snack or smaller size portions of fresh veggies. At CFU, we teach the plate method which is making at least 1/2 your plate be veggies! This helps with filling you up AND there are less calories!
Make calculated indulgences
Nobody said, never indulge! Just plan and indulge smarter. A failure to plan is a plan for failure! If you know you’re going out for dinner and you’ll want to order dessert, make smart food choices leading up to your meal out and there’s no need to feel guilty about the brownie with ice cream. Ordering the dessert is a planned indulgence. Now, if you find yourself eating junk food from a vending machine because you didn’t plan ahead to bring your own food, you’ve indulged, but you probably haven’t enjoyed it one bit. Plan ahead and eat well most of the time so you can eat something not so healthy but feels truly worth it guilt-free. There are non perishable food items you can stash for snacks; almonds are a great option.
Avoid your “trigger” foods
Can you think of any foods that once you start eating them you just can’t seem to stop? The package of crunchy, salty, sugary, fatty whatever-it-is that you just need to keep snacking on until it’s gone? Any food that triggers a binge, that is, a food you cannot eat in moderation, you should just simply steer clear of. Remove the temptation. If it is in your house get rid of it and replace it with a healthier option. Better yet, don’t buy it in the first place!
It all goes back to keep it simple. If it is to hard to follow it is a recipe for failure and frustration.
Take the tips above focus on them and then start building upon them. Don’t start with “all of the above” all at once…take one tip per week and build upon that!
If you would like to have some extra guidance, book a free consultation with one of the nutrition coaches so we can get you on the right path! You are worth the time and effort! Have a blessed day!
Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!
