The late Ann Wigmore, raw food advocate and author said, “The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison”. She couldn’t have been more correct. One of the most common things I talk to my patients about is changing their eating habits because everyone needs to eat! Why not work towards making the right choices to support your health? That is easier said than done. True habit change takes time and commitment.
Here are some tips to help change your eating behavior:
· Have a plan: having a plan laid out for you, down to what to get at the grocery store each week and how to prep for the week ahead can substantially improve your overall health. Be sure to review the recipes before shopping and make any needed adjustments such as substituting out allergens or food preferences. That way you won’t be caught off guard in the moment.
· Make sure your plan and goals are realistic: farfetched goals and an unrealistic plan will only set you up for failure. Having a plan to drop 30 lbs in 2 weeks isn’t realistic (or healthy) and will only set you up for failure and disappointment. A more realistic goal and plan would be to eat healthy for 2 weeks with a goal of dropping 1-5lbs. Remember, everyone is different and responds differently to diet changes. Some individuals will see very rapid results, others may take months to see their desired results. This does not mean one person was more or less successful as long as each person stuck to their individual plan.
· Write down your goals and motivation: this might seem like an easy step to skip but research shows you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down.
· Start small: commit to just two weeks; just long enough for you to really dip your toes in to healthy eating, but not so long that you can’t commit to it with your busy lifestyle and other obligations. Does two weeks seem like too much to begin with? That’s okay, start with just one day of recipes or even a single meal and then add an additional day or meal the next week. You will be much more successful if you acknowledge where you are starting from and set your progress from there instead of overshooting your starting point from the beginning.
· Identify your triggers: What is your relationship with food? Why do you eat the foods you do? Do you know how to prepare certain foods? Are you unsure what certain foods are? Are you over snacking during the day because you are bored or unsatisfied with some other aspect of your life? Identifying your triggers can help you prepare for and deal with them. Not sure what a zoodle is let alone how to cook with them? Take a cooking class or watch a YouTube video showing you how to prepare them. Are you munching on candy at your desk at work because you are bored? Try taking a walk around your business before munching on the snack and once you have completed the walk, decide if you still feel you need the snack.
· Have a support system: This can be a family member, friend, co-worker, or even strangers in a group social media forum.
· Celebrate your victories: Did you go grocery shopping for your meal prep? Did you prepare a new recipe? Did you even just write down your goal(s)? No matter how small the victory, acknowledge it, celebrate it and reward it. Be sure to make sure your rewards are still healthy though. Don’t reward yourself with a piece of sugar-filled cake for eating a vegetable; instead reward yourself with something like a favorite healthy recipe or your favorite fruit. Replacing a victory with a vice won’t help you reach your goals long-term.
· Acknowledge your setbacks and learn from them: You will have setbacks. It is part of the process and that’s okay. It doesn’t mean you don’t have willpower or self-control; it just means that we exist in a world that we don’t have 100% control over. You will inevitably be at a work holiday party or extended family gathering faced with a room of unhealthy food choices and your options will be to eat the food in front of you or not eat at all. By all means, eat the food, it’s okay. Comradery and special occasion holiday gatherings serve a greater purpose than just nourishing your body and these events don’t happen every day so feel free to participate. One future consideration is to offer to bring a healthier option to such an event to share with others. Also, life happens! Some days you think you have it all together, everything planned out and then realize you forgot to start the crockpot as you go and sit down for supper and need to get fast food before your growing toddler loses it (not that I’m speaking from experience or anythingJ). Don’t beat yourself up! You can help yourself plan ahead for these moments by having quick, grab and go frozen meals that you can just microwave in a pinch.
· Make it fun: This is so important! Consider a meal prep day with your friends or family. Buy yourself a fun new kitchen tool (I’m currently in love with my instant pot). Make fun food presentations with your kid’s plate (think silly fruit and vegetable faces or animals). Eating healthy can be fun and the more you enjoy the experience the more likely it will translate into a lifelong lifestyle instead of just a short-term change!
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