Do you feel stressed or overwhelmed trying to eat healthy? Does even seeing those two words “eating healthy” cause your stress levels to increase or send you into panic mode?
As a board certified health and wellness coach, I’m often asked how to make healthy eating easier. And less stressful.
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated. You simply need to focus on eating whole foods the way God created them. Things like veggies and fruits in all their varied colors. In fact, the key is to eat a varied diet – that’s one reason there are so many colors. We reap so many nutritional benefits when we include a variety – not eating the same thing day after day. That gets boring. But the boredom is actually productive because that prompts us to change up what we’re eating, not only for the fun but also for the nutrient diversity when we do.
Now sometimes some people may need to limit or eliminate certain foods for a while. And others may need to eliminate for longer periods of time due to various medical conditions, allergies, or sensitivities like celiac disease, peanut or shellfish allergy, or IBS issues. Or even if you have other symptoms because doing that can often help your body decrease the inflammation.
What symptoms? Things like —
*Brain Fog
*Fatigue
*Headaches
*Stomach Pain
*Trouble losing weight and/or keeping it off
Why are we having those symptoms?
Because these symptoms are like warning lights in your car. They’re telling you something isn’t quite right, and you need to do something to help.
But too often we don’t listen. Right?
We often ignore these symptoms. And so what happens to your body? You run out of gas just like your car would if you ignored the gas gauge warning light. You continue to have the symptoms (or those warning lights) and don’t do anything that really helps. Having these symptoms may be common, but they’re not normal. There is a difference.
Many of my clients have had the same thing happen to them. And I did as well. That’s why I’m so adamant about helping you gain the knowledge and figure out what’s going on. Because I’ve been there.
We often just keep on doing the same things, right? We keep on eating the same foods we’ve been eating, continue our fast-paced and busy life without making time for fun and self-care, keep on not making time for exercising or movement, keep on burning the midnight oil, and we don’t stop for a check-up. We either don’t see the warning light or we do see it and say, “Hmmm. Wonder what that means.” But we don’t schedule an appointment with our medical practitioner to rule out any chronic illnesses or conditions. Or maybe we do and they tell us everything is normal. But we still don’t feel right. So what can we can do? There are some simple first steps.
Here are 3 questions to ask yourself:
- What are you eating? Really – every day – not the occasional treat. What’s your norm?
- Are you eating out a lot? Not every now and then, but many times a week you’re going through drive-through?
- How can you eat a variety of foods that are healthy and don’t require hours and hours in the kitchen?
The Answers:
- Eat a healthy protein, healthy fat (like avocados, olives, and olive oil), complex carbs (veggies and fruits – not pastas, bread, and cookies), plus fiber daily. This will keep you fuller longer and prevent temptations to eat sugary and processed foods.
- Write down 1 – 3 meals you can cook this week. Write down the ingredients, buy them, and cook during the week or weekend.
- What’s one way you can vary your food and make meal prep easier? (See below)
Cooking with the Instant Pot (pressure cooker) or slow cooker is one way to help you eat healthier, create variety in your meals, and make easy-to-prepare meals. Just pick out one new recipe this week and try it. Click here for a delicious chicken and sweet potato soup.
Plus, if you need a little extra help for your own health journey, reach out. As a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, I work with clients who need help in setting goals and taking small steps to help decrease fatigue, brain fog, and sugar cravings, lose or maintain weight, and fit into their favorite jeans again! I have openings for my one-one-one programs. I’ve also added one new element to my programs that has been requested for a while. I’m providing a 60-minute consult for those who want it session per session. So reach out to me either by message or you can click here.
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Leah Cheshire, MCD, CCC-SLP, NBC-HWC is a national board certified health and wellness coach and a speech-language pathologist who works primarily with women who have brain fog, fatigue, joint pains, weight issues, autoimmune, hormonal, and digestive issues. She’s also an autoimmune and IBS warrior herself and uses nutritional and lifestyle modifications for both herself and clients. Click here to contact her for a free discovery call.
