Food tip of the Week

Food tips run vast and wide. My best food tip is to eat what works for your body! I’m all about trying new things to see what works for my body, but not all the latest and greatest diet fads work for me. Some people respond better to smaller amounts of carbs, while others do well with moderate amounts. Some of have effectiveness with high protein and others do well with moderate amounts of protein. Intermittent fasting works for some people and others it can cause binge eating. Our bodies are different and because we see someone else’s body, doesn’t mean we will achieve it by doing what they do. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great for getting an idea, but then it needs to be personalized for YOU.

Some ways to figure out what works for your body is keeping track of what you’re eating and feeling. It can be a pain, I know. It’s not forever though and can help you identify what your body responds to and what it would prefer to avoid. If you have a lot of bloating, indigestion, feeling heavy and sluggish, or gastrointestinal issues, then you may want to minimize this food in your diet if you see a pattern around eating it. If you can do a week to two weeks, even that can be helpful to get some insight. Maybe do it a few different times, if you can’t do something like a month. I know it can be a challenge! This can also help identify how much we’re actually eating. Sometimes until we’ve tracked it, we are under the impression we’re eating less than we are, but when logged we find we’ve eaten probably more than we should have that day.

Maximize fresh fruits and vegetables as much as possible. Processed food is difficult to avoid, I get it. However, they can be problematic and can often be empty calories. The majority of food should nourish your body. I get it though, sometimes the mom and busy woman on the go life warrants processed foods. The key component is minimizing. It is often difficult to eliminate entirely. Start by reducing if this is something you’re working on. Make steady and consistent progress and over time, you will notice a change. I know the hard part is the delayed gratification of having to wait, but it is worth it.

I do think if you’re unsure about what does actually work for your body, be open to committing and trying different things to see how your body responds. To do this expect a solid month of commitment to really be able to tell. Again, keeping track of what you’re eating and feeling is very helpful here. When doing this, be open minded and objective. Don’t try to force continuing it if your body doesn’t seem to be on board with it. If you’re eating enough and drained of energy consistently, that can be a sign it’s not giving your body enough energy to live your life. Try to make an adjustment and trial it for a couple weeks. If there is improvement keep at it, but if there’s not then trial a new adjustment. Yes, this is a process, but once you figure it out it gets much easier! A little more effort up front until you can step back a little.