February at last. Did you make it through January with your New Year’s resolutions intact? While many of us may start to give up on those resolutions, the idea of living and being healthier this year is an admirable goal, and it is attainable. February is an excellent time to reconnect with your health and wellness resolutions. During the month of February, we celebrate American Heart Month and National Eating Disorder Awareness Month. During this month, much focus is placed on how we eat and how we can live healthier lives.
Usually, of the people who make resolutions, about 34% want to lose weight and improve their diet. While it is an admirable goal to eat healthier, it does not mean you have to completely change your diet, which can feel overwhelming and lead to “diet fatigue.” Below are eight healthy eating tips to help you augment the “healthy” part of your healthy eating plan.
Eat your veggies. Ideally, we should be eating anywhere from 2 to 4 cups of non-starchy vegetables per day. If you do not already do that, find ways in your current diet where you can add those veggies, including:
- Adding a veggie to your sandwich
- Swapping out chips for carrot sticks or other non-starchy vegetables
- Having cut-up peppers with hummus as a snack
For lunch and dinner, try making half of your plate vegetables. Not only does this add to your veggie intake, but it also helps with portion control because you will be filling up on fewer calories. Remember, taste buds change. Vegetables that you may have disliked as a child might taste differently now, so do not be afraid to try something new! An excellent way to be creative with your veggies is to try roasting vegetables and topping them with a bit of Parmesan cheese or different spices.
Another good tip when you are busy is not to feel you have to eat fresh veggies. Skip the fresh vegetables and stick with frozen. Frozen vegetables take less time to prepare, and still gets you your necessary veggie intake.
An apple a day. Fruits are loaded with health-boosting phytonutrients. Do not fear the sugar in fruit because two servings of fruit daily will not give you too much sugar, and it is natural, non-processed sugar. Fruit also offers vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.
Make a plan. Have you ever gone to the grocery store when you were hungry and then regretted all your sugary, processed food selections? Try making a list before you go to the store and sticking to it. When making that list, think about what meals you will make. While some variety is important, you do not have to eat a different breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. Relying on leftovers can be really helpful with meal planning.
Keep it simple. Speaking of planning, it is an excellent idea to sit down and plan out your meals weekly. But be realistic. If it is a busy week ahead, making a complicated dinner may take more time than you are able to devote. Meal planning can be a great way to save time during the work week and to avoid splurging on last-minute take-out or fast food on those busy nights. A good rule to follow for meal preparation is to include a vegetable, a fiber-containing starch, and a lean protein. There are several easy ways to get those three food types in each of your meals:
- Frozen vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh and easier to prepare.
- Include easy-to-cook lean protein like pre-portioned chicken, cans of tuna, frozen edamame, or cans of black beans.
- Sweet potatoes are a fiber-rich starch that can be cooked in the microwave.
- You can cook brown rice or quinoa in larger amounts so that you have leftovers.
Whole is best. Refined grains like white bread and white pasta lack fiber, which helps with digestion but also helps with blood sugar regulation and portion control. Instead, choose whole-grain bread, brown rice, and whole-wheat pasta. You can also try different whole grains like farro, bulgur, and quinoa.
Switch up your proteins. When you are trying to eat healthy, it does not mean you have to eat the same meals every day. That can lead to “diet fatigue” and burnout which could then lead you to return to unhealthy food additions. Protein helps prolong satiety, or feeling full, between meals and avoid snacking. It is good to include some protein in each meal, but that does not mean that it has to be meat. Beans and soy are excellent plant-based sources of protein. It is also best to eat more lean proteins and less high-fat proteins. Chicken, fish, beans, and soy are great lean proteins to include; eat less cheese, beef, and fried or processed meats.
Say no to the juice cleanse. Many on their healthy eating journey start by doing juice cleanses. However, adopting an extremely restrictive diet is not an effective way to meet your health goals. Juice cleanses lack nutrients and adequate calories, and often, the weight lost on these diets is just water weight. Also, restricting caloric intake as juice cleanses call for will typically cause people to overeat once they resume eating normally.
Log your journey. A food log can be a great way to start modifying your eating habits. Track everything you eat for 3-4 days and then review by asking yourself these questions:
- How often did you eat out of boredom?
- How many servings of fruits and vegetables did you include?
- How many snacks did you have throughout the day?
Reviewing your answers to these three questions will give you a better idea of what, how, and why you are eating. Once you have that, you can identify what changes need to be made.
Dieting is never easy, and often, what works for one person may not work for another. The most important concept about dieting is to remember that you are doing it to be healthier and not necessarily for a particular weight loss goal.
On your journey toward excellent health and wellness, remember that Cape Fox offers the Employee Assistance Benefit through Lifeworks. The Lifeworks website offers tools and resources to help you in any aspect of your life, including healthy eating; visit https://lifeworks.com/en to learn more. If you have any questions for Cape Fox HR on Lifeworks or this monthly tip, reach out to [email protected].