Simple solutions to fit Real Life

I’m going to type myself out of a job today because this is IT; basically all you need to jump start healthy nutrition habits and maintain them forever and ever, amen.

I preach that the path to overall wellness is not easy, but it is simple, and I believe that 1,000%. Mark and I had no idea what we were doing when we decided to take our health seriously; but we set out with plan: to reduce our added sugars, refined carbs and saturated fats.

Was it simple? Yes. Was it easy? It was not.

But we stuck with our simple plan and eventually and slowly we learned more about what else we could incorporate to enhance what we were doing; what foods could further help lower Mark’s blood pressure, what proteins and carbs are best to fuel our marathon training.

We also learned that you can read yourself blind, and watch every single hour of content on YouTube, and you can become an expert on macro- and micro-nutrients and gut biomes (and don’t forget those polyphenols, OMG) and you can agonize over creating THE PERFECT diet, but I would bet the dozens of dollars in my weekly coffee allowance on the fact that you can boil it all down to a few basic concepts.

And having just a few basics is going to be one of the helpful aspects of this list, because agonizing over anything is certainly going to negate the benefits you’re searching for.

1. Stick to Core Foods.

Remember that pesky food pyramid that got thrown out, turned into a plate, then re-adopted and re-imagined? It all still centers around core foods. Think about incorporating these somewhere in your day: whole grains; lean meats, eggs, and fish; fruits and vegetables; and legumes, nuts and seeds. These things are so good for you for a variety of reasons that we could get into if you really want to make your head spin, but for now, if you’re just testing the waters of better nutrition, spend your time trying to find recipes you like that incorporate these foods.

We started out with some simple meals: avocado on whole grain toast topped with an egg for breakfast; overnight oats with Greek yogurt, almond milk and fruit for lunch; and hearty salads topped with the kitchen sink of fresh veggies and chicken.

Sticking to core foods while snacking is important to consider, too. We take in more calories while snacking than we realize, and if you need something to bridge meals or help manage stress on the job, reach for some mixed nuts, berries or veggies. I like a popcorn that has nothing but oil and salt (Target’s Good & Gather brand is tops), it doesn’t offer much in terms of nutrition, but it gives me variety in my snacks and doesn’t hurt.

2. Eat Bad Food.

No, this isn’t a command, it’s permission. Yes you should stick to the core foods in a majority of your meals, but also give yourself grace to live your life and enjoy the things that make you happy. And when you live your life a bit too hard, you can then give yourself more grace (because grace is endless!) to call it a day or meal off-track and steer back toward more of the core foods.

Keep in mind, a healthy diet is a pattern, it is not decided by each individual meal or ingredient. You might find it helpful to do an inventory of the foods you eat regularly to see what your current pattern is. Do you take the time to prepare meals with whole, natural ingredients 50% of the time while supplementing with frozen or prepackaged foods the other 50%? Is it more? Is it less? Knowing what your pattern is will help you to know where you can make improvements and where you can add more core foods.

You also will see where there’s room for a date night with a cheesecake ending.

But don’t be surprised if you eventually find yourself with less and less interest in the foods that don’t offer nutritional value. Over the summer, this brownie girl wanted nothing more than watermelon for dessert. At birthday parties, I’m satisfied with just two or three bites of cake instead of two or three pieces.

3. Don’t Count Calories.

Again, this is not a command but permission to not use calories as a measure of health. Instead, eat as much as you want of the whole and natural things. But if we were to talk about calories, and you are striving for a weight loss goal, a hearty salad filled with veggies and protein is going to fill you up long before you hit a lower caloric intake that would be needed to lose weight.

Fun fact: fiber and protein trigger a hormone in your gut that sends a signal to your brain that literally says, “boy that was gooooooood eats but stick a fork in me, I AM DONE!” And if you listen to your body, you’re going to walk away feeling satisfied, full of the nutrients you need, AND under the amount of calories in the same amount of a hearty pasta dish, for example.

This doesn’t mean the laws of physics don’t exist, if you want to lose weight you do need a calorie deficit, but if you strive for more core foods in your meals and snacks you will not only see a deficit in your pant size but you’ll realize the added benefit of extended longevity, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease to name a few.

4. Keep it Simple.

If it’s simple, it’s sustainable, and you will be better able to keep a consistent routine. And if you’re going to do the work to reroute your nutrition, set yourself up for success from Day One!

Simple is: finding those core foods you like and eating them.

Simple is not: fad restriction diets that tell you to eat only certain foods. If you can find a doctor that tells you to only eat meat, you can find a doctor that tells you to only eat fruits and vegetables. Because research results can so easily be interpreted to fit a desired conclusion, no one diet or food recommendation is going to get 100% thumbs up from all researchers, doctors and nutritionists. From this there can be only one, true and logical conclusion: eat all of the foods! Meat foods! Veggie foods! Purple foods! Fungus foods! Core. Foods.

(I will say, though, that all doctors who aren’t on the Hot Pocket payroll will agree that ultra-processed foods should be avoided; so that is something you can take to the bank.)

And that is it!

You now have the simple path to a better diet and a healthier lifestyle. The degree to which you want to take it is entirely up to you, but every step you take, every new core food you incorporate is going to be a benefit. Yay!