6 Easy Ways to Clean Up Your Eating Habits
If you’re like me, you’ve been waiting for spring to arrive for awhile.
This is often the time when we’re spring cleaning our homes, but we can also do some spring cleaning of our eating habits as well.
If you’re ready to refocus on your health after the long winter months, try these six tips to help you spring clean your eating habits.
1. Focus on what you can add versus take away:
I teach my clients to focus on how they can add more nutrient-dense foods to your day, instead of focusing on the foods that are no longer serving them.
Maybe that means adding some veggies to your morning smoothie, or incorporating a protein with your afternoon snack. What can you add to your meals and snacks to help support your health goals?
2. Eat more veggies and fruit more often:
You probably know that veggies and fruit are a healthy option, but why exactly?
To start, veggies and fruit are full of antioxidants and fiber, and also high in vitamins and minerals that are beneficial for our health for a variety of reasons.
Some examples:
- Broccoli, tomatoes, kiwi, oranges and peppers are high in Vitamin C which helps support your immune system and fight off stress
- Spinach, potatoes, bananas, and avocados are high in magnesium which helps support your muscles, blood pressure, and promotes a good night’s sleep
- Carrots, sweet potato, cantaloupe, and grapefruit are high in Vitamin A which helps keep your skin looking beautiful, supports your immune system, and helps with vision
3. Get mindful about eating:
Ever eat your lunch while working at your desk, or mindlessly snack while watching a movie only to never really actually taste your food? I know I have.
This is what I call “mindlessly eating” and can lead to poor digestion, overeating, and never really truly tasting your food.
So how can you be more mindful while you eat? Here are a couple of ways:
- Put your utensil down between each bite
- Take 3 deep breaths before each meal to help your body relax
- Avoid eating in front of your computer, TV or any other electronics
- Chew your food until it’s fully broken down in your mouth
4. Make some simple swaps:
Making a couple of simple swaps to help improve the quality of your food and add more nutrients can make a big impact.
Here are a couple of simple swaps that I recommend to my clients often:
- Swap out peanut butter made with hydrogenated oils and sugar for a natural peanut butter made with just peanuts and salt (I love the Smucker’s Natural, Trader Joe’s or Aldi Brands)
- Swap out canola or vegetable oils for ghee or avocado oil
- Swap out fat-free, flavored yogurt for a full fat plain yogurt that you can sweeten yourself with some fruit or my Easy Homemade Granola
- Swap out regular coffee for an organic one (coffee beans are one of the most heavily sprayed crops, and can be full of toxins). I love the brand Purity Coffee and you can save 10% on your order with code “AEN” at checkout!
5. Add more color to your plate:
When you think of traditional American food, it’s pretty colorless, right? A good goal is to aim for at least 3 different colors on your plate to help add more nutrients and variety to your meals.
For example, if you like to have scrambled eggs in the morning, you could have eggs (yellow) and add in some vegetables like spinach (green) and serve it with some strawberries (red) on the side.
I also love to use this method to help teach my children about colors, and what the different colors of food do for their bodies.
6. Incorporate more minerals:
I’ve heard from clients that adding more minerals has been a game-changer when it comes to their energy, cravings, and digestion.
If you’re stressed, have some digestive issues, suffer from muscle aches, have trouble sleeping at night, or have spent years dieting and restricting, chances are you could benefit from some minerals, too.
You can read all about how to incorporate minerals into your day here.
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