With the holidays and the cold (hopefully) creeping behind us, we careen headfirst into springtime. A strange time in the midwest, where suddenly wearing a t shirt and shorts in 40 degrees is now incredibly acceptable and everyone's outside at the first sign of sunshine. It's absolutely amazing.
However, with that comes a slew of pitfalls when it comes to your nutrition & wellness. And because of that, I figured I would also be topical and throw out some audits you could do on yourself (that will be much more fun that what the IRS would do.
Over time, we sometimes allow habits to set in even if they don't support our goals. Review some of these tips below and make any adjustments you can that will help improve your health & fitness. If you want to go even further, hit this link and let me know your exact goals so I can tell you how we can help through coaching. I'd love to chat with you! Anyways, here you go:
1. Review Your Beverages
Have any drinks with added sugar crept into your routine? Regularly reaching for that bottle of wine out of habit at the end of the day? How much water are you taking in?
Over winter, we often grab warm drinks for comfort and they're often loaded with empty calories and sugar. The alcohol from holiday celebrations sometimes become everyday habits even as December and January fade into the rearview mirror.
Over the next few days, make note of everything you drink and look for things that don't match up with your goals. Then sub them out - or at least reduce consumption to levels that support your goals.
2. Review Your Veggie Intake
Vegetables are incredibly important to sound nutrition, and fresh produce is amazing! Colder months make it so much more difficult to find high quality produce, and the frozen mix just sometimes doesn't cut it!
But they're packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They fill you up and don't create blood-sugar spikes. You might actually even feel GOOD after eating (imagine that!). They're the foundation of healthy eating and essential for anyone who wants to become fitter or healthier.
So take a close look at your meals over the next few days. Are you eating veggies regularly? Could you add more? Could you make some changes to swap out processed carbs for veggies? Maybe throw some different veggies in your favorite recipes?
This begs the question: how many veggies should you eat? The "Plate Model" gives an excellent starting point - fill half of your plate with veggies at each meal. It's an easy, no brainer way to make sure you're getting enough.
3. Review Your Snacks
How often do you just open the pantry or fridge to look inside and see what's in there? Are you even hungry? If you do eat, are those snacks an appropriate mix of protein, carbs, and fat in quantities that match your goals?
It's incredibly easy to sabotage yourself with snacks. Many of the fast, convenient, and tasty options are packed with sugar and fat, and it often takes a little more work to come up with a healthy snack. But it's worth it!
Take a look between your meals - what are you reaching for? Chips, sweets, processed carbs? Are you turning snacks into meals by accident? Do your snacks ever contain lean protein?
If you monitor your intake around meals, you'll definitely see some patterns and you might identify some changes you can make. Maybe those cookies at coffee break become blueberries, turkey breast, and some cashews. Maybe ice cream at night becomes half an apple and some cottage cheese.
Need help?
If you did these three audits and want help making some changes, I'd love to talk with you about a plan. We'll go over your goals and make sure your habits in the kitchen match up.
Hit this link and we'll set up a time to meet!
-Cal
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