Healthy Eating!

Eating healthy is hard. I know this first of all because I do it. And second, because less than 15% of the population gets enough fruits and vegetables in their diet (according to the CDC). Pretty sure if it were easy then a lot more people would do it :)

Let me tell you about my diet growing up. We always had the necessities: cereal, milk, eggs, and bread. This means cocoa pebbles, fruit loops, 2% milk, and white bread. We ate dinner together once a week, on Sundays. It was usually a boxed dinner like hamburger helper with some canned corn or green beans. My parents worked a ton and didn't really cook, so we often had ramen or mac and cheese or cereal for dinner. As I grew up I started to learn more about nutrition and asked for wheat bread, 1% milk, and some fresh fruits and veggies.

My freshman year at college I tried to eat as healthy as I knew how, but school stress led to emotional eating. My roommates and I made desserts every week. If I failed a test, I'd comfort myself with ice cream. If I did well on a test, I'd reward myself with ice cream. I was studying every minute I wasn't working and in class, which means finding time to work out wasn't easy either. Before I knew it, the dreaded "freshman 15" was a real thing for me. Then I left on my mission and couldn't control all of my meals because we were fed by members (thank goodness though). So I just didn't worry about the weight because I was focused on the work. But everything changed when I got home.

I lived at home for a couple months, where the groceries were about the same as when I grew up, so I bought my own food. I had green smoothies and wheat bread and good protein. I knew I wanted and needed to get fit again because I knew I would feel healthier and better about myself. I registered for a half marathon so I would be motivated to run every day. But...

I know, none of this explains how we can make eating healthy easier. Here are some things that helped me.

• Educate yourself on what is actually healthy! Use trusted sources and ask me if you have any questions! I'm not saying I'm an expert, but I have learned a lot from reading books and taking classes. Sometimes what we think is good for us is really not! You don't need to "go on a diet," you just need to change your mindset and find foods that you like that are good for you! 
• Make plans for meals and snacks and make a grocery list! Don't have things that tempt you accessible. Remember, a goal is just a wish until you write it down. This definitely applies to getting healthy food! 
  
• Use Pinterest! I have found so many recipes on Pinterest that I keep going back to. It makes it easy to find quick meals, healthy meals, specific ingredient meals, diet restriction meals, etc.!
• Exercise! When you exercise you want to eat healthier and vice versa because they both make you feel good and it becomes a wonderful cycle!
• Be accountable. In one of my classes we had to track our meals on an app for four weeks. I knew my teacher was paying attention and I didn't want him to see that I had a brownie with ice cream, so I wouldn't eat it!
• Just eat it. I didn't used to like plain greek yogurt or celery or tomatoes or peppers or avocados. Now I do. I know it might not work for everyone, but I somehow in my head convinced myself that these things tasted good because they were good for me, and now I actually really like them! 
• Remember that your body is a gift and it's one of the few things we can take with us when we leave this life. 
  
• It's not as expensive as you think. I think about how I will most likely have less medical expenses when I am old if I pay to take care of my body now. You can't put a price on your health. 
• Start small. Don't restrict yourself from everything you like. For example, I love ice cream, so I let myself eat it every once in awhile. If you restrict yourself completely, you will just want it more and be more likely to "relapse," for lack of a better word. Jillian Michaels even said that an 80/20 balance on our diet is a good way to go. You don't have to be 100% healthy all the time, just be a little better everyday! 
  

Eating clean has changed my life, and I am so much happier. I feel better about myself inside and out! Once you get started, it's not as hard as it seems! Just try it for a few weeks and let me know how it goes! Before you know it it will be a habit :) I am a health and fitness coach because this is what I'm passionate about and I want to help anyone and everyone enjoy the feeling of being healthy and fit!