Nutrition Made Simple

Dieting… blah!

For many of us, when we hear the word “diet” we cringe. The word itself brings about thoughts of restriction, giving up of our favorite foods, and confusion: eat this, don’t eat that, etc. Going on a diet becomes a chore. Sometimes we have the will power to stick with it for a bit, but more often than not, we end up reverting right back to our old patterns and behaviors.

My goal for this article is three fold: Keep it simple. Keep it short. Make it immediately applicable (no subscription required!) And while I’m not a licensed nutritionist, I do believe that having a balanced diet plays a large role in one’s Mental Fitness as well.

The following are some guidelines I try to follow as best as possible:

In general, I follow these 3 principles as best I can.

1. Eat real food (not fast food or processed)
2. Mostly plants
3. Not too much

From there I try to make better decisions over perfect decisions. I allow myself as much fruit and vegetables as I’d like. No limit here as filling your stomach with fruits and vegetables replaces something else that wouldn’t be as good.

I try to limit carbs, and to eat whole wheat and grains when I can.

I try to limit meat, and eat mostly lean meat when I do: Turkey and chicken rather than burgers, sausage and hot dogs. Grilled rather than fried. Salmon rather than fried fish, etc.

I do low fat dairy when I can: skim or almond milk, Greek yogurt, etc.

Other than that, I make a concerted effort to drink as much water as possible and try to keep it simple. I try not to consume many, if any, calories from liquid. It’s just not worth it to me.

When in doubt, I often ask myself “What plant does it come from?” (A living plant or a factory?)

From there I remind myself it’s progress over perfection and try to get a bit more disciplined each day. Oh, and measuring and planning in advance also really helps.

I hope some of those tips are able to give you some good “food for thought!”

Here is a sample meal plan that illustrates many of these principles. Perhaps consider keeping two meals the same each day, Monday through Friday. I call this the “art of un-decision.” That way, even if your dinner options rotate, and you give yourself some flexibility on weekends, you still have two go-to healthy meals that are consistent five days a week.

Dieting doesn’t have to be a chore. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Each new meal is a new opportunity to commit to a healthier lifestyle. I hope you’ve found this article useful and informative!

-Steve

 

Image Source: https://www.parkinson.org/Living-with-Parkinsons/Managing-Parkinsons/Diet-and-Nutrition