Pieces of the Puzzle – Part 2 – Nutrition Tips to Look and Feel Better

Ever take a tired and hungry 3 year old into a toy store?

What happens?

You know the story…I want this, I want that, can I have this…and then disaster if they hear “no”.

Now, you may smile and laugh because of a recent encounter with this.

You may have even learned a lesson and avoid this situation at all costs!

You don’t blame them for this, right?  Kids don’t know any better and it takes time for them to learn that they can’t have everything they see.

You obviously don’t buy them everything they want, because they will become spoiled and you’ll go broke!

Pretty obvious, right?

My question is:  Why do most adults correct their kids about WANTING everything at the store, then allow themselves to indulge in every gluttonous pleasure they encounter?

I’m sure you don’t do this, but it really just boils down to human nature.

In truth, I really don’t think people these days understand how to eat healthy.  There is so much noise out there regarding healthy foods, diets, plans, groups, supplements, replacements, suppressants and other stuff, that it has become very confusing.

Some people may scream “fat free” or “sugar free”, but is that really the answer?

Major Problems with Our Nutrition

1.  People don’t know what to eat

Eat this vs eat that..so many questions, right?  This diet, that diet, fat free, sugar free, sugar substitutes, trans fats, marketing, doctors, friends, family etc etc etc.  Everyone has an opinion.  Most people I talk to are completely confused, frustrated and looking for the truth.

2.  People have become dependent on convenience

Everyone is busy, so if they are going to eat healthy, they have to figure out how to make it work in their crazy schedule.  Taking the time to plan, shop and preparing good food is more simple than you may think.

3.  People have an unhealthy expectation of perfection.

People always stumble or get stuck in a funny situation and eat poorly.  The key is to do your best on the next meal, the next snack or the next day.  Perfection is not the goal, so relax.  Use each mistake or challenge as a learning experience.

Those who succeed will be the ones who are most prepared for any situation.  See below for specific tips and tools to help you along the way.

4.  People are too emotionally attached.  Food is comfort and pleasure.

This is no different than your kid touching the stove, burning his/her hand and then learning not to touch the hot stove, right?  If you keep leaving the bread on the table at dinner, eat the whole thing, then feel guilty…my advise is to learn to tell the waiter to get that basket of rolls away from you.  Simple.

Is your goal bigger than the temptation?

3 simple Nutrition Tips to eat healthier without the pain of dieting.

1.  Get the bad food out of your house, office, car, purse, backpack, etc.

Here is a good rule of thumb…If God made it, eat it.  The more we touch it (alter it, refine it, package it, market it, etc) RUN!  I truly believe that eating more naturally occurring foods will transform the way you look, feel, perform and recover!

Now, since we are all a little weak, it is vital to get the bad food out of site.  Don’t tempt yourself with the bad alternative.  If oatmeal raisin cookies or brownies are around, I WILL EAT them!  I have proven it time and time again, so I have learned not to keep them around.

** KEY POINT: I do NOT expect perfection from myself or my clients.  I indulge from time to time, but it is not a daily habit.  An occasional sweet is not the end of the world.  Enjoy it and move on 🙂

2.  Surround yourself with good food and snacks

Once the bad food is out, then its time to restock the shelves with good food.  We have provided a great shopping list for you to use as a template at the grocery store.  You should also look for local farmer’s markets.  These can be a great way to find fresh produce, save money and support a local farmer.  Once you’ve got good food around, then you should cook a few meals and/or prep it for the week.

I prefer to cook on Sunday and Wed nights.  I cook  a large amount of food, divvy it into Tupperware and then I have it ready for the next few days.  This process solves 2 big problems:  Getting busy, not having good food available and making a poor choice…and its a simple way to control portion sizes.

Plus, did I mention that this could save you hundreds of dollars per month?  Check out the Dining Out Budget sheet for more details.

3.  Forget “diet” food – fat free, sugar free and other diet gimmicks are just marketing hype.

Filtering out all the hype and noise is the next big task.  These days we are bombarded with new foods, diets, supplements and ideas.  The truth is that without having a good foundation of real, natural foods, all the supplements, bars and shakes are useless.  Its not just about fat, carbs and protein.  Real, whole, natural foods provide minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, phytonutrients, a variety of amino acids, fiber, carbohydrates and fats.  We need all of these things to function at our highest levels.

Most diet foods tend to focus on Protein or Sugar, but lack the balance we need to function properly.  So realize that the majority of your calories should come from natural foods and everyone should eat a balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.  Strive to hit the basics before you start thinking about supplements or drastic diet plans.  I bet you’ll be surprised how great you feel!

“It’s the unconscious behaviors that impact diet/nutrition the most. Being conscious is important w/ food choices”  -Candice Cendana

Thought Candice (aka @HealthOC) hit the nail on the head when she sent me this tip on Twitter.  Lots of us have heard about healthy food, read books, and heard scary statistics, but unfortunately we continue with our old bad habits.  In order to change, we have to become conscious of our eating habits.

What we Think we do and what we ACTUALLY do are two different things

Ideally, you would keep a daily Food Journal, but here are some simple questions to assess your daily drill:

Print out this piece of paper and simply fill in the blanks for the third part to these Nutrition Tips.

1.  I wake up at ___and eat ______________. (include drinks)

2.  I stop on the way to school/work and get ________________.

3.  I always snack on ____________ in between meals.

4.  My favorite snack is _______________.

5.  I usually (pick one) bring my lunch to work  /  go out to lunch.

6.  If you dine out for lunch…I usually eat ____________ for lunch.

7.  I usually buy a _____________ to drink from the gas station, vending machine or quicky mart.

8.  I usually have __ cups of coffee per day

9.  I usually have __ alcoholic drinks per night.

10. When go out on the weekends, I will have ___ glasses of wine/beers/other drinks.

11.  I eat ___ meals at restaurants every week.

12.  I cook ___ meals at my house each week.

13.  I ________ vegetables.

14.  I go grocery shopping every ___________.

15.  I plan my meals for the week every ____________.

16.  ___________ is my day to plan, prepare and cook meals.

17.  I could schedule time on __________ to shop, prepare and cook every week.

18.  (Yes or NO) I am conscious of the amount of food I eat.  Yes or No

19.  I keep a food journal each day. Yes or No

20.  I take the time to learn and gather new healthy recipes and ideas. Yes or No

21.  Eating good, quality food is important to me.  Yes or No

22.  I am willing to work on implementing new eating habits to help my family become healthier. Yes or No

These are just some basic questions to get you thinking (conscious) about your eating habits.  The next step is to actually start making healthier choices, implementing them into your life and creating new habits that help you work toward your goals.  Remember, you have everything you need to change and you are strong and powerful enough to make these changes.

Is it always gonna be easy, of course not, but nothing worth while ever is 🙂

More Nutrition Tips! Try These Recommended Tools and Resources:

Check out our FREE Fitness Tools page for grocery shopping lists, sample days, and more.

You should also check out the Nutrition Articles on our blog.  They are packed full of helpful information!

If you have specific questions, leave us a comment!

Next Up! Pieces of the Puzzle – Part 3 – Learning the ins and outs of Exercise.

• How to Get Started
• Exercise Selection
• Making Progress
• Changing things up
• Answers to a few Important Questions

Gonna be a great one, don’t miss it!

If you liked these Nutrition Tips, leave us a comment and share this with your friends, family, and coworkers.

If you want some extra guidance, we would love to help you at Innovative Results – The Orange County Fitness Playground.