1. Don’t count calories. Do eat until you’re satiated.
If you focus on eating only real, whole foods — meaning a combination of meat, fish, eggs, healthy fats, veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, and spices — you will be giving your body exactly what it needs. When your body gets what it needs, you will feel satiated. Your body is wise and if you are giving it the right fuel to function optimally, it will tell you when you’ve had enough. Empty calories such as highly processed foods with ingredients you can’t pronounce can leave you feeling empty. Have you ever eaten twice as many cookies because they were “non-fat” and still felt hungry? Not only is counting calories unhelpful, it adds unnecessary stress, which is counterproductive in your journey towards optimal health and wellness.
2. Don’t focus on macronutrient ratios. Do eat a wide variety of real, whole foods.
Macronutrients include fat, carbs, and protein. Instead of focusing on macronutrient ratios, focus on eating a diverse diet, comprised of real, whole foods. Certain macronutrient ratios have been proven successful for particular needs; for example, lower carb diets have been found to be beneficial for those looking to lose weight, those with neurological disorders (such as Alzheimer’s and epilepsy) and those with blood sugar disorders, whereas higher carbs diets are best for pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as athletes and those with HPA-axis dysfunction. The point is while there are specific macronutrient ratio diets that may help certain people, look first to cleaning up your diet. Do not worry about ratios. That can come later, if ever, as you fine tune your diet and target your unique needs.
3. Don’t listen to fads. Do listen to your body.
There is an endless barrage of advertising, infomercials, documentaries, and social media posts telling us what is best for our bodies. But the reality is, only you know your body. It will take experimenting and patience to figure out what truly works for you. There is no one-size-fits-all way of eating. Stop listening to everyone else and start listening to you. What is your body telling you? How do real, whole foods make you feel? Do some make you feel better than others? Slow down and take note. If you pay attention you will discover your body tells you a lot!
4. Don’t stress. Do find your preferred way to manage stress.
Stress is detrimental to our health. Consistent stress on the body leads to elevated cortisol levels, which can lead to an array of health issues. Just as starting a new job, going on a blind date, or traveling to a new country, it is common to feel some stress and anxiety when trying something different, and that includes transitioning to a new way of eating. This is completely normal. Try finding ways to manage stress during this new time. Some ideas include: prioritizing 8 hours of sleep, starting a 3 min daily meditation practice, counting your blessings or taking a walk after dinner. What stress management technique most resonates with you? When would work best for you to test out this technique?
5. Don’t aim for perfection. Do start small.
The “all or nothing “mentality is extremely common. Many people believe if they aren’t 100% committed to a way of eating, then there is no point in trying at all. This is simply not true. Aiming for perfection is setting yourself up for failure. We all know this, yet when it comes to food, it can be very hard to not feel completely derailed by every cookie, piece of cake, or piece of bread we eat. Start small. Incorporating real, whole food into your diet, whether it’s once a day or once a week, is a step forward.
6. Don’t equate healthy with complicated. Do simplify your meals.
It’s easy to assume healthy eating must be complicated. After all, if it were easy, wouldn’t everyone be doing it? We are bombarded with recipes online, gorgeous photos of food on social media, and magazines filled with elaborate tables. But eating healthy, also known as a real, whole foods diet, does not have to be complicated. Simplify your meals by choosing a meat, veggie, and carb. For example, that could look like a steak with butter, steamed broccoli with olive oil, and a baked sweet potato with butter and herbs OR a hamburger patty topped with lettuce, onion, tomato, avocado with baked acorn squash OR an egg scramble with potatoes, peppers, and broccoli, topped with a piece of grilled salmon
In summary:
Do eat until you’re satiated. Don’t count calories.
Do eat a wide variety of real, whole foods. Don’t focus on macronutrient ratios.
Do listen to your body. Don’t listen to fads.
Do find your preferred way to manage stress. Don’t stress.
Do start small. Don’t aim for perfection.
Do simplify your meals. Don’t equate healthy with complicated.
