A new shop opens up by you.
You get so busy you start eating out more.
A new diet comes out and you want to follow it.
And you tell yourself “I’ll only have this every once in a while.”
The shop serves "healthy" treats, so you go back again.
The ease of order takeout compels you to order out again.
The new diet comes with all products included, so you don't have to think about groceries.
Next thing you know, this occasional treat is now an everyday occurrence.
I see it almost every day.
Research shows we need to eat all foods in moderation and diversity.
There are some really easy ways to achieve this type of healthy lifestyle.
First, use a variety of vegetables and fruits in your day. I typically aim to eat 3-5 different colors at every meal. This helps to distribute the micronutrients, vitamins and minerals that come with each different color. I personally don't enjoy raw spinach or kale. However, cooking it and hiding it in soups and stir fries is a good way to add that to your menus.
You can also achieve diversity based on how you cook your veggies. I tend to offer my kids "hot or cold" veggies. I follow that rule for myself. Some days I eat raw broccoli and some days I steam it or grill it. Each way of eating these veggies brings out or kills the nutrients. That's why it's important to prepare your veggies different ways!
Second, eat different proteins.
What if I challenged you to eat a different protein each day for a week?
Monday: Chicken
Tuesday: Pork
Wednesday: Fish
Thursday: Beans
Friday: Beef
Saturday: Lentils
Sunday: Eggs
Could you do it?
Not only that, but what may appear healthy isn't.
We get fooled by healthy titles. We may think a sugar-free skim-milk latte is the better choice. We may choose the gluten free buns loaded with crap in between. Neither of these options are great because there's no nutrients! Natural sugars are part of what keeps our bodies going. Full fat milk has amazing nutrients that go all over our body to build our cells. And labeling something with a "gluten-free" title can be just as processed and harmful as their enriched flour counterparts.
The key take away? While you may think sipping a post-workout shake or a night time snack routine is okay because it's made with "healthy" ingredients, those small habits may be what's standing between you and your goals.