Here are 10 tips I've learned from personal experience and from working with clients who are looking to either lose weight, improve their diet and/or just feel better. Healthy is as much a physical state related to diet and exercise as it is a mental one. Enjoy!
1. Follow the 80%/20% rule (or 90/10):
If you're making wise choices 80% of the time, it's 100% okay to indulge the other 20% of the time. Zero guilt!
2. Prepare your own food more than 50% of the time:
When it comes to wise choices, a good place to start is to prepare your own food more than half of the time. And here's why: when you eat out, it's hard to really be sure what's in your food. Was that salmon loaded with oil? What exactly is in that soup/bread/chicken salad? Any chance that pepperoni is nitrate free?... And the portions are usually just wrong!
3. Use a smaller plate:
The Today Show recently did a study on plate size revealing that a larger plate can result in eating 56% more food (nearly 2x the calories). The study also pointed out that if you start with a healthy food (salad, fruit), you're less likely to overindulge in heavier foods. One way you can eat less without even realizing it...
4. Know what's in your food:
Many people eat yogurt or "detox" juices but have no idea that they're consuming 8 or more teaspoons of sugar in one sitting. This sugar is rapidly processed by the body and what's not needed as energy ASAP is stored as fat. Also, that long list of ingredients with unpronounceable words also means they're unrecognizable to your body and could very well be contributing to issues with your metabolism. Try doing more of your shopping at the farmer's market and you'll have little question as to what's in your food...
5. Drink water:
Thirst is often mistaken for hunger and PS, most of us aren't getting enough water. Here's how much water you need and why...
6. Eat a breakfast with enough protein:
Skipping breakfast makes you vulnerable to bad choices later in the day and a breakfast without protein basically does the same thing, if not worse as you crash hard quickly after the carbs are processed. Protein will help you feel fuller longer, concentrate better and ideally help you make better choices at lunch. Aim for 10-15 grams of protein with breakfast. These protein packed and gluten-free protein pancakes are a good choice or just a couple of eggs or plain greek yogurt with fruit and honey.
7. Get a food routine:
Boring may be a good thing when it comes to what you eat. Studies show that people who generally eat the same things for breakfast and lunch/dinner eat less overall. So don't stress if you're not living up to your Pinterest board's potential...
8. Slow down when you eat:
Your brain needs 20-30 minutes to process that your body has been fed. Allow it to catch up.
9. Sleep more:
Stop the glorification of busy! Most people need 7-8 hours of sleep per night and if you're getting less, you're releasing too much cortisol, a fat promoting stress hormone that contributes to increased inflammation in your body.
10. Move:
Ok, this is an obvious one, but how can you have a positive body image and be healthy if you're not physically active? The benefits of physical activity on your mental outlook can be far greater than the physical impact. At the end of the day, it's all about how we feel, no?
And a few tips for being a happier mom....
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