What’s the secret to making lasting changes to your diet? Make one small change at a time. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are healthy diets. Today, pick one tip to incorporate into your daily life. Once you’ve mastered it, move on to the next and you’ll be well on your way to a healthier life.
1) Five a Day. Start eating 2 fruits and 3 vegetables a day. How? Incorporate fruit (dried or fresh) at breakfast and as a snack. Throw some extra spinach on your sandwich for lunch, snack on some carrot sticks and hummus as a snack, and include a veggie side dish at dinner. Viola! Five a day.
2) Don’t skip breakfast. Studies show that those who eat breakfast are more likely to maintain a healthier weight than those who do not. Make it balanced with carbohydrate, fat and protein: Ex: Oatmeal cooked with milk and topped with nuts, seeds and fruit, or a scrambled egg sandwich with spinach and a side of fruit. The possibilities are endless.
3) Drink more water. Gradually phase out the excessive consumption of soda, sweet tea, energy drinks and other sugary beverages. Carry around a reusable water bottle to refill.
4) Practice portion control & eat intuitively. Turn off the screens while eating and take the time to truly enjoy your food. Eat more slowly than you normally do and listen to your inner cues to tell you when you’ve had enough.
5) Eat beans, nuts and legumes five times a week. These fiber packed foods keep your gut and heart in check. Snack on nuts and seeds, or use them as a topping for anything from cereal to stir-fry. Add beans to salads, grain dishes and soups. Five times/week is a lot; start with one and work your way up.
6) Make all of your grains whole. Brown rice, oats, bran, quinoa, farro and barley; whole wheat pasta and bread; whole grain, fiber packed cereals. Highly processed grains like pre packaged snack foods, desserts, white bread and pasta have been stripped of their nutrients.
7) Feed your gut with probiotics. Foods like kefir, fermented veggies, and yogurt help establish healthy gut bacteria which improve your immune system, promote regular bowel movements, and help you maintain a healthy weight.
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2 Comments
Great article! What probiotic do you recommend and where can I get it?
Thanks Wendy! I recommend getting probiotics from eating foods like kefir, fermented veggies, yogurt and drinking kombucha. It’s also important to help those bacteria thrive in the gut by giving them fibers found in oatmeal, bananas, asparagus, onions, garlic and legumes. Probiotic supplements are not regulated so you can’t be sure how much of the probiotic is actually in there. Plus, they’re expensive. Get your nutrients from food!