4 Tips from a Holistic Nutritionist to Become a Healthier Person
Deciding to improve your health can be daunting.
And with all the information out there on social media, it’s hard to know what to believe. It seems everyone is saying something different and they’re all saying their way is the best/right/most effective/only way. Everyone’s way can’t be right, can it? Well, what works for one person might not work for the next person. So, it might be the best way for them, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best way for everyone.
Although nutrition is not a one-size-fits-all approach, there are a few habits that everyone could do by adopting. When you build a house, you need a solid foundation first. The same thing goes for nutrition and trying to improve your health. For the most part, everyone needs the same things to build their foundation of health. And through a holistic approach, such as mine, improving your health is not limited to just food and nutrition. Once you’ve got the foundation down, that’s when it’s time to branch off and figure out what your unique body needs to thrive. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
1. Sleep
Sleep is the time when your body and brain repairs itself and recovers from the day. When you don’t get enough sleep, your hunger hormones are more active and can cause you to eat more throughout the day than you would have if you had gotten enough sleep! Focus on getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. Women should aim even higher and get 8-10 hours as women require more sleep than men.
2. Have a plan
At the beginning of every week (before doing groceries), I always take a few minutes to plan out my week on my calendar and then decide what meals I’ll be making. This way, I can choose easier meals on busier days, leaving no excuses for not eating well. Once I’ve chosen my meals, I make a grocery list and head to the store. Food is very expensive right now, so this is how I keep costs down and make sure I am still eating healthful foods.
3. Meal Prep
Meal prep doesn’t have to meal spending hours in the kitchen cooking all your meals for the week. Sometimes, meal prep looks like cooking and shredding chicken breast for sandwiches, salads, and other meals throughout the week. Other times, it means making certain components of a meal so that when dinner time comes, most of the work is already done.
4. Get comfortable reading food labels
We live in a time where advertising is done so well, they’ll have you believing that a gluten free, vegan, keto packaged cookie with a list of 30 ingredients is a “health food”. And while we are very lucky to live in a time with so many options to choose from, this just means we have to be more aware of the foods we are choosing to put in our bodies. By understanding what each ingredient in a food is and making the conscious choice to stay away from the ultra-processed foods, you’re doing your future self a huge favour!
Taking charge of your health can be scary – but it doesn’t have to be! With the right support and resources, it can be a very exciting and empowering experience.
If you’re ready to become a healthier version of yourself, I offer free 15 minute consultations to chat about you and your health concerns.
Whether you choose to go it alone or use the support of a nutritionist such as myself, you owe it to yourself to take care of your body and your health!
