7 Simple Ways to Start Nutrition NOW!

It happened again. I was out to dinner with friends and my stomach cramped up so bad I had to excuse myself and go out to the car. This had become a familiar drill – digging in my purse on the way out to grab the pack of Rolaids I always had on hand. Then getting to the car and laying the seat back as far as it could go, I would attempt to massage the pains away.

It took me 10 years on prescription acid reflux medicine without any relief to finally really listen to my body – which obviously wasn’t happy. It was a long journey to the answers which I won’t go into detail here, but the bottom line:

I wasn’t giving my body the proper nutrition it needed for me to be my best.

In fact, I was giving it a lot of the wrong things every day – such as casein (a protein found in cow’s milk) that I am overly sensitive to.

This is the second blog in the series Health Reset in response to one of the top challenges you are facing – staying healthy and fit. Today the focus is on nutrition and why this is an area you and I need to take seriously.

In your busy life you may find your own health and nutrition being on the back burner sometimes. You may struggle with too much, too little, or not the right foods. If this is you, don’t wait to prioritize this important health area.

Start nutrition now!

In her best-selling book, This is Your Brain on Food, nutritional psychiatrist, Dr. Uma Naidoo stresses that our nutritional health is critical to our overall health, and the function of our brain.

There is an intricate relationship between our gut and our brain, and the foods that we eat will either help us perform better or, conversely, when you eat poorly it has a negative impact on your mental health and wellbeing.

This means that to sustain high performance, and truly give your best to those you love, you must prioritize nutrition.

To get you started, here are 7 simple ways to incorporate healthy eating habits into your on-the-go lifestyle:

1. Decide what you will eat in advance. This starts at the grocery store. (What’s in your cart?) If you don’t buy the items you don’t want to put in your body, they won’t be in the house and tempt you in a weak moment.
2. Prep your meals for the week. I know you’ve heard this one before, and it’s probably something you have done in the past. If this isn’t a current habit, make it one. A couple of hours chopping will actually save you time and stress.
3. Track one thing you want to change about your eating habits. Is it nighttime binging? Is it unhealthy food choices? Is it eating too much, or too little? Define it, write it down, and track it over the next 30 days.
4. Make an exchange. Identify an unhealthy food in your current diet that you want to eliminate. Then change it out for a healthy substitute. As an example, do you love white rice but want to reduce your carbs? Try cauliflower rice instead – it’s delicious!
5. Get an accountability partner. Who can you reach out to share your health goal, or better yet partner with you on a nutrition challenge? Share ideas, recipes, and check in with each other regularly.
6. See a nutrition coach if you need to. Have you ever spoken with someone about your health and nutrition? There are experts to help you get on the right track and don’t be afraid to use them.
7. Make it fun. Find something fun you can do to spark your interest in healthy eating habits – take a cooking class, pick out a new healthy cookbook, or schedule a food prep day with a friend while your kids play.

When I incorporated true change in my nutrition, it made all the difference. My gut got healthy again and I felt better. My energy, focus, and overall health improved.

You can do it too. It is easier than you think.

Start nutrition now.

Did you miss the first blog in the Health Reset series? Access it here.