top of page

Elevate Your Food, Elevate Your Life: How to Establish Good Eating Habits

Mason has been such a trooper- a pizza addict married to a nutritionist. The question is who’s habits will prevail? Ha! Mason is not a wellness project for me, I never had that intent, but there have been so many healthy changes in our home that have grown on us, better food being one of them. We’ve also adapted great reading habits, we fill our minds and ears with positive words, and we guard and fill our calendar like it’s nobody’s business.

I could go on and on about the changes we’ve made to become better individuals, but let’s stick to wellness eh?


Are you interested in improving your eating habits? THEN LET’S TALK FOOD.


 


The Ugly Truth


It’s true, Americans kind of suck at being healthy… we’re getting better though!

  • In 2016 529,999 people died due to an unhealthy diet

  • The leading cause of death in America is heart disease (mainly caused by poor food choices)

  • The 7th leading cause of death in the US is Diabetes

  • There are over 78 million people struggling with obesity today


I’d say we still have work to do.


 

Elevate Your Food, Elevate Your Life

It’s time we elevate our life to a higher standard. Will you join me? A great way to take control of your lifestyle when it comes to food is to create a meal plan.

I know, It’s easy to become overwhelmed when meal planning- don’t worry.

You don’t have to create a bunch of meals in one day and freeze them all (ugh).

You don’t have to extend your bank account.

You don’t have to eat foods you hate.

You don’t have to make it a religion.


Be free knowing that you have a choice, and it is your choice on what you fuel your body with. Shouldn’t you deserve the best?


Step One: Keep a Food Log

Trust me, you think you eat a balanced diet? Write down everything you eat for 7 days straight, I dare you. Don’t skip out on this. Assess when you hit day 7.


Step Two: Know Your Guidelines

  • Consume a fair ratio of carbs, fats, protein, and produce

  • Low intake of sugars and unhealthy fats (candy, chips, fast food, sugary drinks from Starbucks… I know I fall for the drinks too).

  • Eat 5 servings of fruit/veggies a day

  • Consume good sources of protein, lean is great! (Fish, chicken, nuts and seeds)

  • Honestly ask yourself the question, “How many starbucks drinks do I consume in a week?”


Choose foods that are highlighted in the mediterranean and keto diets as these have been proven to be the healthiest options. Here is a great source from Harvard on why the Mediterranean diet is so successful: https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/why-the-mediterranean-diet-is-so-good-for-your-heart.


Step 3: Gradual + Easy + Enjoyable + Repetitive

Honestly, I am that wife that sneaks spinach into my husband’s smoothies. Mason didn’t trust spinach when we got married, but when he tasted my smoothies he became pretty well acquainted with it. A gradual introduction gave him peace of mind and when he enjoyed what I provided he was able to trust other options I presented to him later on.


  1. Introduce food gradually, first in ways that it is invisible

    1. Start with a simple change. Easy breakfast options to introduce more fruits and vegetables include: avocado toast, smoothies, or fry up an egg

    2. Put a little bit of greens in your smoothie for breakfast. Put a little greens in your frying pan with your eggs.



Perform your food habit every day or every other day to maintain consistency.




Step 4: Eat in Intervals


There are a ton of different ways to eat, but the healthiest options I’ve seen are when people eat three meals with snacks an hour or so after each meal. This wards off over eating during meals and surprise food purchases. Here’s an example of what I eat in a day:



Having a full schedule of eating lean and whole foods keeps you from overeating or spending too much money on surprise meals. Notice how each meal includes fruits or veggies, a protein source, and carbohydrates. Low on sugar.



Note: sugar cravings are usually a sign of a diet low in fats. Go for foods high in healthy fats like avocados, whole fat plain yogurt, and nuts/seeds.



Meal Planning

This step is for those who are serious about elevating their food game. It’s a task that

requires practice and motivation. Mason and I recently established this habit together to keep ourselves on track.


Plan out meals together prior to shopping

  1. Breakfast

  2. Snacks

  3. Lunch

  4. Dinner

  1. Research what others are doing for their meals- one of my favorite sources is from Eating Well: http://www.eatingwell.com/category/4286/meal-plans/. Pinterest also has some options that you can sift through and Dr. Josh Axe writes great guidelines on his site: https://draxe.com/nutrition-category/diets/.

  2. Create a budget. For Mason and I it is reasonable to spend $150-$200 on meals for a week. When I was in college it was reasonable to shop for myself anywhere between $50-$60 per week. Aldi’s and Fresh Thyme are our favorite places to shop because they are low cost and offer organic options.

  3. Get foods you enjoy too! This is so much fun for couples who are willing to work together and have a common goal.



Remember, when you elevate your food you elevate your life. It’s a treat, not torture to give your body what it needs. Plus, it can be super fun when you have someone else to help keep you accountable. What other standards are you willing to raise to become a better individual?



Comments

bottom of page