In this day and age, eating is much more complicated than it should be!
An obsession with weight loss and skinny bodies has caused the internet to be seething with useless (and sometimes harmful) information on diets and products promising women, “this military diet will help you achieve your dream body fast!”
“The Ketogenic Diet will help you lose weight fast because carbs make you fat!”
“Intermittent Fasting easily puts you in a fat burning state!”
“Low-Fat Diets are key to building lean muscle mass without gaining fat!”
All of these claims are either false or only part of the truth.
For example: carbs are essential nutrients that supplies the body with energy. They do not make you fat but they are the easiest type of nutrient to overconsume which is why removing them from the diet tends to yield weight loss results. The honest truth is that carb-restrictive diets can cause loss of energy, exacerbation of mental illnesses and nutrient deficiency. Additionally, the Ketogenic Diet is a medical diet for people who suffer from seizure disorders-the low carb and high fat intake is meant to both prevent seizures and promote recovery from brain trauma and seizures. It is not a safe or recommended fat loss method!
(Learn more about how carbohydrates impact your body, which ones are considered “healthy carbs” and when to eat them on my blog.)
So, if another extreme diet plan is not the answer, then what is?
How do you eat in a healthy, educated and SANE way?
Well, it’s quite simple actually, and the reason you’ve probably never heard that before is because big companies cannot sell you solutions that are easy for you to solve without them.
These companies thrive on your bad eating habits which is why instead of encouraging education on women’s nutrition, they contribute to the criminalization of body fat, and profit off of weight loss surgery, “fat-burning” supplements and diet foods.
Instead of a product or a quick-fix, let’s try a change of 3 simple habits for a cheap and easy (but long-term) solution to this “healthy eating” quagmire!
#1) The first habit you need to work on to improve your diet is to eat regularly throughout the day.
This is something we’ve all heard of: eating 3 meals a day is the standard recommendation, yet a surprising amount of women fail to meet this goal.
Even worse are women who neglect to eat all day, and end up believing that this entitles them to a massive meal (often comprised of processed foods) at the end of the day. This is difficult to digest and disrespectful to the body.
Instead, employ a nutrient timing diet plan in which you eat small, balanced meals or snacks every 2-4 hours.
For most people, this means you’re looking to eat 4-6 times a day and I know that may seem like a lot but consider these benefits to well-timed nutrition:
- By constantly fueling your body with nutrients you will feel your energy, moods and focus all start to rise throughout the day. Things will feel less stressful and more graceful as you get through the day.
- The steady flow of nutrient dense foods will help your body heal better to reduce muscle soreness, bodily inflammation and joint pain.
- Continuous digestion of food encourages your metabolism to burn faster and hotter. That means more calories burned, higher body temperature and more energy that lasts longer.
- By ensuring that your body is properly nourished you are going to reduce the occurrence of cravings for foods high in processed ingredients-a lot of these cravings can stem from nutrient deficiency.
(Join my email list to get access to my Nutrient Timing PDF)
#2) The second practice you need to get into is eating balanced meals or snacks with diverse ingredients and nutrition.
This can seem a little more complicated to work into your eating habits but it’s not!
Just look for a colorful plate of food with vegetables (or fruit), carbs, protein and healthy fats.
The color of a fruit/ vegetable indicates the presence of a specific nutrient so having a variety of colors on your plate will offer you a diverse power. Not only will it be nutrient dense, but the diversity of color and ingredient on your plate will be visually enticing and maybe even spark some curiosity in you, making you excited to eat it.
(Join my email list to get access to my Eating Rainbows PDF)
An example of a midday snack that fulfills this requirement is:
- 1 KIND Brand Protein Bar
- 1 Cup of Mixed Fruit (I like strawberries, blueberries, green grapes and cuties.)
- 16 Ounces of Fresh Green Juice of choice (I like Suja Green Juice)
The KIND bars are a mix of high-protein and high-fat ingredients with some carbs, and the fruit mix and juice will add additional carbs. It’s simple, colorful and diverse in nutrients.
This makes for a satiating snack that will provide you steady energy and nourish your body as a way to prevent hunger and cravings for more processed foods.
A popular meal that does NOT fulfill these requirements is the classic low fat meal prep idea of chicken breast, broccoli and rice. This is most popular in a bodybuilding women’s diet but it is not a healthy, balanced meal. Let’s break down why…
- First and foremost, this meal is missing a healthy fat source–diets low in fat are notorious for causing nutrient deficiency, depression and hormone imbalance.
- Second, broccoli is the only form of produce here, and while broccoli is very nutritious, it would be even better if you added more vegetables to the broccoli and created a mix. A diversity of produce turns a standard meal into a mini multivitamin.
- Finally, the rice is okay if it’s brown rice but often it is white rice which is washed of most of its fiber and nutrition. Using whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa and barley will offer substantially more fiber than white rice, along with essential vitamins and minerals.
As you can see, this type of female nutrition plan is going to force you to reframe the way you think about food and eating-from “Meat and Potatoes” to “Nutrients and Diversity”.
#3) The last habit you need to build is to enjoy yourself and connect with your food!
This is also going to challenge you to reframe the way you think because right now, you may be thinking that enjoying your food means eating things that are covered in Hot Cheeto dust and deep fried.
Or even trying to see if you can conquer America’s Largest Cheeseburger…
Unfortunately, these are not ways to enjoy and connect with food-these processed and fast foods are so dead and distorted that death is really all your body is gaining from them.
More often, the experience of going out for these foods is a way of connecting with other people, and that’s great but we still need to build the connection with food.
Connection to your food will give you an understanding and appreciation of what you are eating (and what it took to make it) so that while you eat it, you feel nourished and fulfilled deeply, on an emotional and spiritual level.
That connection with food is the foundation of a healthy relationship with food and a respectful diet plan!
Work with me as a Nutrition Coach and let’s find your perfect eating habits together! Reach out to me here!
Here are some of my favorite ways to have my clients connect with their food:
- Making time to cook instead of ordering out
- Trying a new ingredient that they’ve never eaten
- Cook a recipe that intimidates them a little
- Cook with kids, friends or family
- Learn mom’s recipe: your favorite dish by your parents
- Start an herb garden and tend it regularly
- Shop at the farmer’s market and get to know your growers
- Spend an hour a week studying how a product you consume is made, processed, packaged, etc.
All of these things encourage you to learn, try new things, and get hands-on with your food! Part of the issue with most people’s distorted relationship with food is that they are looking to make things as easy as possible.
Meal prep, fast food and easy-to-access junk are all attempts to make eating easier, and they do, but while it is getting easier to eat it is also getting harder to feel fulfilled when you do eat.
This is because you are looking for something else besides nourishment in every meal…you are looking for that sense of accomplishment that comes with providing for yourself and your basic needs.
You are looking for that food-based affirmation-that delicious meal that YOU made that tells you “I am capable. Nobody can take better care of me than me!”
Take some time to consider your connection to your food…
How frequently do you eat?
How many different ingredients do you eat a day?
What do you know about your food and where it came from?
How close to natural and alive are your foods?
How frequently do you try new ingredients?
Keep these things in mind when you’re thinking about your diet plan and nutrition habits! Eat in a way that helps you build a healthy relationship with your food, not in a way that creates an unhealthy relationship with the body!
You and your body are worth ALL of this time and attention!
This article was written by Elexis Smolak CPT, CNC, founder of Adapted Fitness and Integrative Health and Fitness Specialist for Women. Learn more or schedule a virtual coffee at AdaptedToYou.com