When easing into a healthier lifestyle, it takes time to learn, to understand, and to fully comprehend the best way of fueling your body. You can't read one book, or a couple of blog posts, and know everything there is to know.
That is why giving yourself all the time you need, to switch slowly from bad foods to good ones, is what will eventually allow you to maintain a healthy lifestyle long term.
Let's take breakfast for instance. Some people preach the benefits of a green smoothie every. single. morning. But if the very idea of that makes your stomach twist, then don't do that. If you are used to some toast with peanut butter and jam, then do that. Just do it better. Choose a whole grain bread, some gelatin free fruit jam or spread, and a NATURAL peanut butter. If you have a jar in the house right now, you may be surprised to find that the first or second ingredient listed is icing sugar. Yep. The stuff you have for a treat on a cupcake. That is not a very good way to start the day.
A natural peanut butter will separate when unrefridgerated. The oils will rise to the top and you will have to give it a couple of quick stirs before scooping. Not a big hassle for a pure product that will leave you feeling energized. What is in pure peanut butter? Just peanuts. All ground up and turned into a delightful butter. YUM.
So, I wrote a post a while back about ways to make the transition to veg easier. My main theme for this post, was how to stay positive and keep encouragement all around. I really do think that is key when making a big change.
You gotta get excited about the prospects. Challenge yourself to make a weekly meal plan, find recipes you love and put together a folder so you always have something to pull from. And most importantly, focus on what you do get into your diet, not what you don't.
Didn't have your kale today? Okay. Drank a nice large mason jar of water with lemon juice? Great! Forget about what didn't happen and focus on what did. You'll feel better about moving forward and will be more likely to make additional changes the next day.
Read, read, read, and then read some more. Don't just accept what someone says as fact. Do the research. Learn about the different fruits and vegetables, and know how they can benefit your health. Learn about processed foods, and why their not the ideal type of fuel.
Track what you eat in a very flexible, non-rigid sort of way. Just jot down how approximately what you ate for each meal and how it made you feel. Then adjust from there.
Also, feel free to invest in some awesome cook books. They really go a long way to getting you excited to be in the kitchen.
Food is a joy, and so I treat it like that. Some say coffee is awful for you, others say no, a cup a day can be beneficial. I pay attention to how it makes me feel from a wellness standpoint, and from an enjoyment standpoint. And the results? I loooove coffee. So it stays. That's that.
But I also realize that it can be very dehydrating. So I replenish my body with lots of water and fresh, juicy veggies throughout the day. It's all a balance.
So forget about perfection with your food. Go for feeling good, and enjoying the learning curve.
xoxo,
Mickie.
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