According to a recent survey, almost half the population of the US makes New Year’s resolutions. That makes sense, since we are ever-optimistic that we can better ourselves. Self-improvement is really more than a hobby for Americans, it’s a nationwide obsession.
Sadly, our success rate is less positive. Only 8% of the population actually keeps their resolutions for the New Year. Of course, every year the most popular resolutions tend to be related to health and wellness. Perhaps this year you made a resolution to lose weight, get fit, or improve your health. Food is a natural place to start.
Food is one of the great pleasures of life, and it is also something that we can each control ourselves. Unfortunately, people sometimes get so bogged down in what they “can’t” or “shouldn’t” eat that they lose sight of what their goal is. The first step in trying to make a change is to remember that “best” should not be the enemy of “better.” Maybe your goal is to lose weight by following a strict diet. If the diet is so strict that you cannot follow it, then you fail and end up discouraged, and scrap your goal entirely. It is best to start small and build from there. Here are a few small steps that can help you get a handle on eating well in the New Year:
1. Join a CSA or Food Co-op. A CSA or Community Supported Agriculture service allows you to buy fresh, local and seasonal food straight from the farm. In most cases a box of vegetables and fruits is either delivered to your doorstep, delivered to a local drop off point where you pick it up, or collected in person by you from the farm. Joining a CSA has many advantages. It gives you the opportunity to experience where your food comes from first hand. It gives you incredibly fresh produce, and as an extra bonus, it benefits the local economy. If you are trying to eat well in the new year, this is a good place to start. Here is a link to Local Harvest a website that explains how CSAs work, what to expect, and where to find one.
2. Cut back on alcohol. If you are making a resolution to lose weight or trying to make some healthy changes for the New Year, consider where you may be able to make a few cuts. Alcohol may be something that adds a significant amount of calories to your week. Not to mention the fact that it can lower your resolve when it comes to following a diet or sticking to your health plan. If you tend to imbibe regularly, consider taking a step back and changing your habits. While wine and other alcoholic beverages can certainly have a place in a healthy diet, cutting back on the amount you drink might be beneficial. Try limiting alcohol to one or two days a week, and start a habit of drinking a glass of water for every cocktail, glass of wine, or beer you consume.
3. Drink more water! In general it is a good idea to up your water intake anyway if you are starting any kind of diet or exercise plan. If you exercise regularly without drinking enough water, you can become dehydrated. Also, drinking water can be beneficial for weight loss. Water with a meal fills you up, lets you consume less food, assists your kidneys and lets them do their job properly, and helps the body metabolize fat.
4. Replace sugar with fruit. Most processed foods (even ones you would not expect to have sugar in them) are loaded with unnecessary carbohydrates in the form of high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, rice syrup, sorghum, lactose, and a dozen other types of sugar. Sugar is present in many forms of peanut butter, tomato sauce, bread, and even soy sauce. In the past we consumed far less sugar than we do today. Check out this cool infographic for some statistics on American sugar consumption. The increase of sugar in our diets is one of several factors believed to be responsible for the obesity crisis. Starting the New Year out with less sugar is a great way to start to take back control of your diet. If you like something sweet for a snack or at the end of your meal, try to replace “dessert” with fruit a couple of times a week, and slowly chase sugar out of your diet as much as you can.
5. Cut out or cut down on industrialized omega-6 rich oils. Another factor believed to contribute to the obesity crisis is the increased use of industrialized oils like corn and soybean oil. Most processed food includes one or more of these oils. A high consumption of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids may increase the chance of breast cancer in some populations. They have also been potentially linked to increased chance of prostate cancer. Try to avoid processed salad dressings, soybean oil-based mayonnaise and sauces that include these oils, and learn to make your own. Here is a great link with recipes!
6. Practice “mindful” eating. Some people have a hard time recognizing satiety signals from their bodies, especially in a world where food is specifically designed to appeal to us on a multitude of levels. Many of us also have damaged metabolisms, and so our underlying hunger signals are completely disproportionate to our needs. In other words, we feel HUNGRY. ALL. THE. TIME. Mindful eating is a way of taking control of how you eat, and learning to recognize how you personally react to food. It can be a very useful tool to help you rediscover your satiety signals and conquer compulsive eating.
7. Replace refined foods with more green or colorful veggies. Refined foods like white rice, bread and pasta covert to sugar easily and can contribute to metabolic disruption in people who are genetically predisposed to insulin resistance. If you are trying to lose weight and are having a difficult time, try replacing some of the simple starches you consume, like bread and pasta with an extra serving or two of green or colorful non-starchy veggies like spinach, broccoli, kale, colorful bell peppers, tomatoes or green beans. You may find that this will jump start some weight loss, and increase your energy levels. Here are some nutrition facts that will help you choose your veggies!
8. Cut down on processed foods. The goal of any natural foods diet like a Paleo/Primal approach or an organic/local method is to get you to move away from consuming overly processed foods high in sugar, preservatives, and unhealthy additives, and move toward a diet full of fresh vegetables, fruits, and good protein sources. If you could do just one thing in the New Year that would contribute toward a healthier you, it would be to eat more fresh food, and eat less refined food. Replace your fruit loops with fruit and yogurt or a sautéed veggie and cheese scramble. Give up your morning cupcake/muffin in favor of a warm prosciutto wrapped mini frittata from my absolute favorite Paleo recipe blog.
9. Cook!! Sometimes with everything else that fills up our lives, the last thing we want to do is cook when we get home from a long day’s work. Sometimes the thing that gets you through the week is the thought of pizza and beer on Friday. Sometimes, the easiest thing to do for lunch is grab a frozen meal, and hope that Healthy Choice really has your best interests at heart. Moving from overly processed food to homemade meals will often greatly improve the quality and nutrition in the foods you eat, which will have a beneficial effect on your health. If you do not currently cook your own food, experiment with making your dinners a couple of times a week, and maybe bringing leftovers to work with you. You will likely find that you save money and enjoy the process. If you already cook, and feel stressed about the time involved, befriend a crockpot, and try out some of these recipes!
10. Reward yourself. This may not seem like it fits a list of "10 ways to eat well in the new year," but it is important to recognize that what you are doing, each little step in the right direction deserves some recognition. Sometimes in life all you need is a goal, like losing a certain number of pounds , or eating more vegetables each week, or maybe drinking less beer. A goal can get you started, but at the end of the day, it is the rewards that keep you going. Let your rewards be little treats at designated moments along the journey toward the goal. Perhaps your reward is to treat yourself to a massage, or have a special dinner out, or enjoy a special food or drink that you typically avoid. If you achieve a goal, and then reward yourself for it, your success will be far more tangible and effective. What will you reward yourself with?
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