Does the idea of eating healthier make stress you out?
Is your first thought that you need to buy special food and completely change your lifestyle?
Does the idea of “eating better” sadden you?
Well, here are five tips you can incorporate today without ever setting foot in the grocery store or cracking open a cookbook.
Eating better is something EVERYONE can do to improve their health. And it doesn’t have to be time consuming, difficult, or stressful.
Try these five easy steps to improving your diet, right now:
- Don’t skip meals!
I don’t care if you are in a hurry, EAT BREAKFAST. Skipping meals is one of those dietary pitfalls most folks indulge in. We don’t have time. I don’t like breakfast foods ( by the way, there is no law that says you have to eat “breakfast foods” for breakfast. We have a meeting. Stop making excuses for not taking care of yourself.
Spreading your intake out over the course of the day will keep you properly fueled, prevent you from overindulging, and keep your metabolism working at peak form. Don’t make your body guess when you will feed it again. Regulate your energy by eating at regular intervals.
- Eat your fruit; don’t drink it.
Healthy fruit juice is a myth. Fruit is delicious but it’s high in natural sugar. It’s also high in vitamins and fiber when you eat it and don’t drink it! A serving of fruit can satiate your craving for sweets and fill you up but a serving of juice will spike your glucose level and make you hungrier so, for goodness sake, put down your glass and wrap your hands around the firm flesh of a nice piece of fruit! And be sure to pair your fruit with protein.
- Plan ahead.
Grab and go eating is the norm for most of us. And unless you plan ahead, you’ll end up grabbing processed snacks and prepared foods that are filling your body with unwanted sodium, chemicals, and garbage. So instead of reaching for what’s convenient, take ten minutes to scribble out a game plan for the rest of your day and follow your playbook. A cup of raspberries and unsweetened, plain, yogurt will fuel you so much better than a bag of chips or a candy bar. All you have to do is think ahead.
4. Swap water for high calorie, sugary beverages.
Walk straight past the soda machine, skip the double mocha latte frappuccino macchiato, and head right to the water fountain. Water is your best friend. Drinking water is like showering your body from the inside out, rinsing away toxins, filling you up, hydrating your hair and skin, and yes, decreasing your appetite. DRINK UP. And if you want to jazz up your water, try using THM hydrates or True Lemon packets.
5. Slow it down.
Life is crazy. I get that. But eating is one of life’s essential pleasures. Don’t squander it by rushing through meals and snacks so quickly you can’t remember what you ate. Slow down. Savor every bite. Let your taste buds celebrate what you are offering them. When you take the time to enjoy your meals you’ll make every mouthful count. Adjusting your pace and making mealtimes a “time out” will help you focus on quality over quantity.
Now, was that so hard? Every one of these five tips is something you can try today without any extra preparation. Eating better doesn’t have to be painful. My whole weight loss and fitness philosophy is based on baby steps because making small changes really does pay off big time.
Want more? Download my free Meal Prep Guide to get started.
