“Let food by thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”
We have all come across this famous quote by Hippocrates. Personally it’s one that really resonates with me and approach to food. It also inspired the tagline for my nutrition blog, Nutritionize! back in 2009 – “Food is a drug, eat responsibly”.
I personally believe you must eat move and meditate to achieve optimal wellbeing. Good nutrition is just important as good sleep or healthy mindset and daily movement. But eating well doesn’t need to be a difficult task.
I’ve tried many diets over the last 20 years, and I learned a lot about my personal nutritional needs by experimenting. But the diet that I live by is not a diet at all, it’s a way of eating.
Experimenting with different diets including Vegan, Vegetarian, Juicing, Paleo, Zone, and Keto taught me what foods were high in nutritional value, how these foods worked to energize my body, and the impact they had on my digestive system…
But, Mindful Eating taught me how to notice the impact of what I ate especially my energy levels and gut health, it also taught me to recognize feelings of hunger and satisfaction and most importantly to truly savor my meal.
In my opinion being vigilant with your diet and eating mindlessly is as bad as eating bad food.
So, what does this mean for you? You don’t have to give up all your favorite foods, you do have to listen to your body.
Whether you’re personally motivated to eat healthier, or have been told by your doctor or health coach to change your diet… you’re probably found yourself to this page because you’re asking yourself “Where do I start?!”
Here’s my simple guide to creating a sustainable diet:
- Drink at least 16oz of water upon waking
- Eat within 1 hour of waking
- Eliminate gluten ( at least for 2 weeks)
- Eat a paleo-ish diet: Meat, seafood, veggie protein, fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds
- Use a small to medium size plate for meals
- Fill 2/3 of plate with carb (fruits, veggies) and fill 1/3 of plate with protein
- Eat every 2-3 hours, never let more than 5 hours pass with a balanced meal
- After every meal ask yourself how do you feel
Eating well is not rocket science
These 8 simple habits are easy enough that you can get started with them NOW. Stick to it for at least 30 days and see how you feel. Then test and tweak as you feel necessary.
Before you know it this way of eating will become instinctual. You won’t have to think about it.
First off, congratulations for taking the first step.
Secondly, change is difficult. Be patient.
Thirdly, change is constant. Be disciplined.
Now go out there and make shift happen!
Want additional support? Join the next EMM 30 Day Challenge. Click here to get on the waitlist