YOU’VE MADE THE FIRST STEP
So, you want to eat a little healthier. Congratulations! You’ve made the first step.
The next step is changing your habits. Now, don’t get too worried. Changing your habits can be easier than you think. All you have to do is make little changes every day and you’ll see big results in no time.
The most important thing, though, about making changes to your eating habits is to be conscious and consistent. Let’s start by talking about some conscious eating habits.
KEEP A FOOD JOURNAL
The best way to begin your journey to healthy, conscious eating is to log what you eat every day. You might be surprised to find where most of your poor eating habits come from! Log the time of day you’re eating along with what and how much you ate.
Along with the food log, it’s not a bad idea to write down how you feel before and after you eat. This is a good way to observe if you have any emotional eating habits and how certain foods affect the way you feel – mentally and physically.
Once you’ve identified your eating habits, you can start making progress every day! Here is a list of small changes you might want to implement to start eating healthier.
DRINK WATER AS SOON AS YOU WAKE UP
A large glass of room temperature to warm water can help curb your early morning appetite. It also gets your whole body working as soon as you drink! Add some lemon to your warm water for an extra boost.
EAT BREAKFAST
“I don’t have time to eat breakfast” isn’t an excuse anymore! You don’t need to have a full pancake breakfast or an omelet to start your day. Anything with a little fiber and protein will do. Try some toast with peanut butter and a banana! Portable, quick, easy and cheap.
SWAP OUT UNHEALTHY CONDIMENTS
If you love fatty dressings like mayo or ranch, this might be a hard change but it’s a super easy one that your body will love. Try avocado spread or hummus. Spreading some avocado or hummus on a sandwich in lieu of mayo gives you an extra protein boost and will cut down your unhealthy fat intake.
DON’T CUT OUT TREATS
Don’t listen to anyone that says you can’t have cake for dessert! Just make it a smaller piece of cake. Or try some delicious dark chocolate! A decadent dark chocolate, peanut butter and berry smoothie for dessert might really ‘wow’ you.
SWAP YOUR SNACK BASKET FOR A FRUIT BASKET
Everyone has that go to spot where they keep their special snacks. (No? Just me? Ok.) For some it might a giant basket of their favorite chips right on the counter. The chips will be missed but the feeling of pride after eating a bunch of grapes instead of half a bag of Lays just makes you feel better!
See? That wasn’t so hard, was it? You don’t have to change your whole life to…well…change your life! Just keep making little swap-outs once you get comfortable enough with the previous swap to move forward. Before you know it, you’ll be the picture of healthy eating habits! When you friends ask you where you started, show them this guide and offer your support. They’re so lucky to have a great friend like you!
