Use your fork to reset your health and rebalance your body! Food and beverages need to convey the right messages to your body, so you need to start adding in the good and subtracting the bad.
Success rewards the planner, so be sure to get prepared for these changes. Stock your fridge with healthy snack choices, like pre-cut veggies and hummus, almonds, hard-boiled eggs, guacamole, cherry tomatoes, and carrots. Aim for foods that will energize you, not deplete you or cause you to spike and crash.
1) EAT THE RAINBOW!
Fruits and vegetables are crucial for co-factors, adaptogens, and micronutrients involved in hormone production and regulation. Aim to consume 7-10 servings of plants per day to get the live enzymes, fiber, and nutrients to support your busy lifestyle!
2) CHOOSE WHOLE FOODS!
Eating real food is crucial. Think back to the way our ancestors ate before sugar-laden, highly-processed foods came about and these industries realized their foods were addictive. Then the chemicals and preservatives and questionable manufacturing processes…sigh. When in doubt, choose whole foods with macronutrients – proteins, healthy fats, and carbs. Shop the perimeter of your grocery store and frequent your farmer’s markets or opt-in to local co-ops for fresh produce, cheese, dairy, and meat year-round.
Even fruits and veggies aren’t safe these days! If you aren’t aware of the Dirty Dozen and how chemical-laden our fruits and veggies can be, you need to take a look at my previous blog on must-have organic produce and make friends with the Environmental Working Group’s website.
3) SAVORY BREAKFASTS!
Forget the American standard of carbs and sugar! Opt for a savory breakfast with plant-based nutrients and proteins. Finally! Permission to eat your bacon and eggs! Don’t get crazy…bake that bacon or opt for turkey bacon and don’t fry those eggs in loads of grease. Actually, an egg-white scramble with salsa and spinach topped with avocado slices would be the best choice, but you get the idea! Nuts, berries, natural yogurt or kefir, eggs, veggie scrambles, frittatas… Think outside the box and do your body a favor in the morning! It will help you to avoid those mid-morning cravings and snack breaks later.
4) GREEN SMOOTHIES!
Though they don’t have the aesthetic pleasure of a pretty sugar-laden alternative, my green smoothies are a foundational part of my wellness and keep me satisfied until lunch.
5) DITCH SUGAR AND INFLAMMATORY FOODS!
Did you know that eating sugar causes the brain to release dopamine, the same neurotransmitter that spikes when one does cocaine? Yowza! Sugar addiction digs deep into our bodies and is a tough habit to break. But it causes brain fog, increased appetite, mental chatter, depression, anxiety, insomnia, cravings, and an inability to feel full. I would rather suffer in the short-term to rid myself of these long-term afflictions. AND I DID! How?
Look for grams per serving and read your ingredient lists. Know the “code words” for sugar and know that carbs are converted to sugar in our bodies. Even if you think you don’t eat much sugar, but start your day with a whole-wheat bagel, have a veggie sub for lunch, and a reasonably-sized pasta dish for dinner, you are still eating SUGAR three meals a day.
Opt for whole foods and focus on macronutrients. Use an app like Lose It! to plan your meals and balance out your nutrition. Keep the preservatives and chemicals out of your body and reduce inflammation by being a mindful eater. You can do it!
Feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of giving up sugar? Check out this post for my best cravings-crushing tips and recipes! >>
BONUS: DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE HOW!
It’s not just what you eat, but how you go about eating it. Meals are not quick sprints. Enjoy them!
Be sure to take 5-7 deep cleansing breaths before you eat to calm yourself from the stressors of daily life.
Help your body to find the calm so that you can be mindful not only of how you eat, but how much you eat.
And, for heaven’s sake, ENJOY YOUR FOOD! Savor each bite. Chew slowly and thoughtfully.
Allow your digestive system to prepare and work to your advantage. You won’t believe the difference that these small changes can make!
Filling your body with the right fuels has an incredible impact on your energy. Learn some of my other techniques for boosting your energy naturally with my “Top 10 Energy-Boosting Remedies” Guide. You can download it here free:
Learn My Top 5 Oils for Creating Hormonal Synergy:
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