How to Make Eating Healthy Less Intimidating
Big lifestyle changes such as changing your diet can feel like a daunting task but it doesn’t have to be. Start by deciding what your goals and expectations are and make small changes gradually that line up with those goals. A lot of people refrain from living a healthy lifestyle because they think it will be boring and you won’t be able to enjoy your favorite foods. Food is one of the many joys of life so you shouldn’t have to sacrifice that. We should focus on what we are gaining from this change instead of what we are losing.
The first piece of advice I would give when it comes to eating healthier is to think of this as a lifestyle change instead of a diet. If you shift your mindset and start thinking of yourself as a healthy person it can change how you feel about yourself and the way you eat. It may encourage you to seek out healthy alternatives and associate yourself with other healthy habits. When we think of a diet, we think of a short term change instead of something that you want to maintain for the long haul. You may also want to find an accountability buddy. If you have someone on the same journey with you, you can both get healthier, have something to bond over and keep each other accountable.
My number one rule when it comes to maintaining a healthy diet: Don’t sacrifice your favorite foods. There are two ways you can make sure this is non-negotiable. One is everything is okay in moderation. You can eat chocolate cake, ice cream, pizza or any other non-healthy, greasy, sugary food as long as you eat it in moderation. If you never treat yourself to things that may seem “bad,” you’ll feel as though you are missing out and will have a lesser chance of maintaining this lifestyle. The other way to maintain this rule is by making healthy swaps. We are lucky to live in the modern age where there are healthy alternatives to everything. You can always find healthy options in the store or online to supplement a food that is unhealthy with something better for you. For example, if you love chocolate and still want to eat chocolate often, you can find a healthy alternative with cacao as the main ingredient and less sugar so you are not sacrificing something you love and can still maintain a healthy diet. Another example could be making a cauliflower crust pizza instead of a regular pizza to still enjoy a pizza without all the calories and carbs that come along with the pizza dough but if you want a normal pizza every once in a while that is okay too!
Speaking of food, what foods should you try to eat the most? I try to focus on protein, fiber and fats for the main component of my diet. Protein and fats will keep you full for longer periods of time and give you fuel to get through the day. Fiber is great for digestion and getting good vitamins and nutrients. I eat foods from all different categories but I make sure to get my protein, fiber and fats in some form everyday. Good forms of protein include meat, eggs, fish, soybeans, lentils, et cetera. Some fats that are healthy and delicious include avocados, nuts, seeds, and yogurt. Fiber includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans. Changing to a healthy diet isn’t about eating less, it's about eating more of the good stuff and smaller amounts of the bad stuff. Try to minimize artificial, processed and sugary foods and maximize natural foods.
The benefits of eating a better diet are endless. Less risk for disease, better sleep, more energy, and decreased inflammation just to name a few. If you’re interested in making this change and want more advice, I recommend using a nutritionist. There are many resources online and locally. Find something that works for you and stick to it because it’ll change your life for the better.
Resources:
Cena, H., & Calder, P. C. (2020). Defining a Healthy Diet: Evidence for The Role of Contemporary Dietary Patterns in Health and Disease. Nutrients, 12(2), 334. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12020334