Whole Foods & Healthy Habits

My transition to whole foods and healthy habits.

In 2019 I had reached a tipping point. My health was affecting my daily life.

I was feeling tired all the time, had stomach issues often and was eating the SAD (Standard American Diet). My meal planning was more about what I could get on the table quickly and less about the ingredients or the nutrition. I was not exercising regularly and not sleeping well. My relationship with food was tied up in a list of emotional issues that I had not faced yet.

Every few weeks I would get flu-like symptoms and crash on the couch for several days. This is not me! I met with my doctor, had my blood drawn, started gathering advice, and finally decided that I could not exercise out of a bad diet. I did not want to spend another day on the couch sick and miserable. Something needed to change!

How I Made Changes:

How did I make the transition from sick on the couch and lacking energy to feeling like myself again? How did I transition from an unhealthy lifestyle and make those changes stick?

I was worn out and just doing the basics. I did not have the energy for big transitions. So I slowly made changes. This ended up being the best thing for me. It gave me time to adopt healthy attitudes and routines with intention.

Slow and steady actually wins the race. 

I believed a lot of lies about getting healthy. I had to overcome things that I had been taught that were actually working against me. I thought that if I did not change everything all a once that I wasn’t doing it right. I had this idea that everything good I had done was lost if I made a mistake or had a bad day. I was quick to shout “Failure!” and slow to give myself encouragement. I had to re-learn some basics.

Every good decision counts. 

There are 147 meals in one month (+ snacks).  Changing a majority of that number can be a huge accomplishment.  If I eat heathy foods 80% of the time that is still 117 meals where I have made good choices.

Decide what is most important in that moment.

In a perfect world we can control every part of our plans and make the best decisions with all the boxes checked.  But we do not live there.  I definitely don’t. 

I have to choose what my focus will be.

What matters right now?

• Is it the type of veggies or a specific ingredient I want to use?
• Is it the variety of foods?
• Is it time or location?
• Is the side dish or the main dish most important?
• What about who I am eating with?  How does that change things?
• Do I want my food to be slow cooked or dinner to be done quickly?
• Am I paying attention to where this food comes from?

There is not one right answer for these questions.  Each meal is different and we just have to do our best to make them as healthy as we can with what we have.

Every small step is moving me to my healthy lifestyle.

Slow and steady actually wins the race. 

So, in typical April fashion I went to my bookshelf and my stacks of books on productivity. There must be a lesson that I can apply to making a transition to healthy eating habits. There must be a way that I can adjust what I am doing that is uniquely me and yet efficient. And that is where I found it.

I love the idea of “House Rules”.

A quick definition: “…House Rules are simple choices that support what matters to you and your people.  Yes, they’re practical and tangible, but they’re meant to lead to a home environment of connection, not protection.”  

p.88 from chapter 6 “Set House Rules”

You should really read The Lazy Genius by Kendra Adachi and go to her podcast to learn more. She is amazing for practical help in all areas of life!

• 

• 

My House Rules

For so long I had been trying to apply rules from other people. A complete change in my routines, my actions, and what I enjoy. It took an enormous amount of self-control and usually I was frustrated. But this process was different for me. I made small changes to the things that I decided were important, not some expert stranger. And I did the things that made a difference to me in that meal, that afternoon.

Your house rules & routines help you move through your day in a way that works for you.

So here is my lists of different House Rules that I used on my 2-year transition to healthy eating and healthy food habits. I am definitely not a medical professional and I am still learning as I go. I still would like to lose more numbers on the scale and I always need to remind myself to drink water instead of coffee. But, I have more energy and I feel better.

If you find this helpful, I suggest you choose one that works for you and try it out for a week or two. Then, move on to another one. And if you have some tips to share I would love to hear them!

Routine Related House Rules:

All of these are routine adjustments you could make for a short time or long term.

• Only eat sitting down at a table.
  • Stop eating while standing, cooking, in front of a screen, in the car… This changes so much more than I would have realized.  It took all my extra effort to do this for about 3 weeks.  I saw all the spots where bad habits had cropped up.
• Make the decision the night before what I am eating for breakfast and set it out if possible. 
  • For me it was a banana & my homemade yogurt
• My water cups and squats routine – drink lots of water!
  • Before I get my cup of coffee in the morning, I also fill up my water cups for the day.  I put one in my office, schoolroom, and the kitchen island. I also get in 30 squats and some stretches while I stand at the fridge filling my water cups. (yes, I look ridiculous. 😊)
  • Use a straw! There is something magical about having a straw to drink water. I end up drinking more in less time without thinking about it.
• Shop for fresh veggies once a week – then food prep when I get home.
• Bring food for myself at family gatherings or social events.
• Hot tea without sugar at night instead of sweets. Create a new ritual – replace the old one.
• Slowly reduce the amount of sugar added to my coffee.  Use half & Half instead of flavored creamers where I cannot control the sugar amount.
• Make my own jellies, jams, apple sauce, cranberry sauce
• If I do eat something fried, eat a taste, then eat some salad, apples, celery or cucumber.

Every good choice is $ in the bank – all healthy choices count.

Super Practical House Rules:

• Choose to eat a variety of colors and fresh ingredients.
• Meal plan for myself – have an alternative list to follow if the rest of the family is eating something that I cannot.
• Remove temptations. Put junk food out of sight or out of the house. Or put it in a different cabinet. Don’t buy them, make them hard to reach.
• Take the cookies off the counter and put out fresh fruit.
• Eat a salad every day at lunch.
• Reframe my mindset –
  • “I get to eat this..”
  • “I will feel better if I eat this instead.”
  • “I have the opportunity to have ____ (new fresh ingredient)”.
• Sometimes when the urge to snack comes you just drink a glass of water, walk a few laps outside and do something else. 
• Don’t eat out of boredom.
• Food does not have moral value. – It is just fuel. No judgment needed.
  • Kendra has a super helpful podcast on this. [The Lazy Genius Looses Weight]
• What have I had too much of lately?
  • What have I had not enough of?
  • What can I do differently?
• When I want to break a rule I have created stop and ask myself, “Why? What is my inner dialog?” Then I write it down in my journal to keep track of my thought life.
• Create rewards and rituals that do not involve eating junk food.
  • (new walking shoes, finding more Spotify playlists, new blender, a book from my Amazon wish list…)
• Make Bone Broth soup with veggies and proteins
  • Lots of flavors, so much good stuff – slow cooked
  • See my favorite recipe from Farmhouse on Boone.
• Don’t leave the house hungry or without a healthy snack that is appealing
  • Protein bar, baggie of mixed nuts, crackers, grapes, rice cakes, cheese, apple slices….
• Think about types of foods that I enjoy and make healthy alternatives – there is no point in exhausting my self-control when I do not need to.
• Only eat dark chocolate chips, avoid all other sweets.
• Have a plan of several meals to order at the usual take-out/restaurant places your family enjoys. 
  • Make a plan before you go to the restaurant or even before you know you are getting drive-thru. 
• Know what foods trigger me and cause me stomach issues and just avoid them. (bread, sweets, lots of cheese, fried foods, most fast food, processed meat – this is my list. What is yours?)
• Be creative. Browse Pinterest for appetizing meal ideas and snacks.
• Use lettuce as a bread replacement. Let it be my friend.
• Use frozen veggies – they are fully ripened in the field and flash-frozen at their peak of freshness.  This is an excellent source of vitamins.
• Look up new recipes for family dinners.
  • Make meals low carb then have rolls/buns on the side for the kids.

---

• 

• 

• 

In the last year, I have had neighbors and family comment that I look different and that I have “lost weight”. Often the next question is something like “What did you do?”.  They do not want to hear that it has taken me over a year or a long list of small changes I have made.  They want a fast solution that will show results this month.  I am sorry I cannot give that to you.  I wanted that too.

However, the more I learn about long term health, I don’t think that is attainable.  Each month I continue to add a new goal to my heathy routines.  I maintain what I have learned and add something new to focus on.  This month it is drinking even more water. Next month I will be adding in more arm workouts and stretching. There is no real finish line. 

I am definitely not a medical professional and I am still learning as I go.  My hope is that something here has inspired you to find your own path toward what healthy routines look like for you. There is so much joy in food and coming together for a meal. Let’s enjoy food without being trapped by our unhealthy views and habits.

You can do this!

You are stronger than you realize!

Slow and steady does actually win the race. 

I hope that you will give yourself time to adopt your own healthy attitudes and routines with intention.

Hugs! – April

• 

• 

•