by Nancy Knudson,
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
Your diet doesn’t have to be perfect, but most people need some improvement!
As a functional medicine certified health coach doing what I do for more than a decade my diet isn’t perfect. My health isn’t perfect either, but it is 100 times better than where I was 15 years ago when I was struggling with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, chronic infection, neurological symptoms, insomnia, depression, and my list goes on! My life looks nothing like it did back then and I’m here say you can be better too!
So, start with eating cleaner!
Think about eating a rainbow of color throughout your day!
Build your eating around three healthy meals a day. Each meal should include a high-quality protein, either plant or animal-based, good fats like avocados, olive oil, coconut milk, or nuts and seeds. Plenty of vegetables and some fruit. If you need to incorporate a healthy snack in the middle of your day, awesome! Do that too!!
Keep in mind that fruit can be high glycemic so keep it to a minimum. Also, most fruits cause maldigestion when eaten with a large meal, so eating fruit as a snack with some yogurt or a handful of nuts rather than with a large meal is a good idea. We will talk about proper food combining in another blog. I have videos on this topic as well.
Learn to read ingredient labels.
Decrease packaged foods by choosing more produce and fresh meats. Avoid highly processed and refined products and choose more real whole foods! Stay away from the middle aisles of the grocery store — that’s where the majority of processed foods are located.
I love the mantra “eat food not too much, mostly plants”. I’m not vegetarian, but I try to incorporate a lot of vegetarian meals and high-quality things like pasture raised eggs and wild caught salmon or other small cold-water fish — such great sources of so many things that we tend to be deficient in. The more that we incorporate nutrient dense foods into our diet the more satisfied we become, and we begin to not be hungry all the time.
Choose organic as much as you can. Yes, some things are going to be more expensive, but there are lots of ways that we can save money. Check out my video posts on eating clean on a tight budget, the one on cooking more, my Costco grocery store haul and so many other great videos.
Consider doing a clean-up of your pantry and fridge. Toss out or donate items that you know are not serving you well. Start to shop differently. Check out the “Virtual Grocery Store Tour” on the Resource page of my website that shows you pictures of different food groups and items you can look for at the grocery store.
Be careful of protein powders and supplements with synthetic ingredients, isolates, hard to digest ingredients like whey and other added ingredients like Xylitol or Erythritol which are grain alcohol sugars, highly processed and damaging to the intestinal track.
Need a Fast & Easy Breakfast Option??
I love the RAW MEAL organic fermented whole food protein powder made by Garden of Life. You can find that at your natural grocery store, at most grocery stores or online. Be sure to get the one that says, “Slightly Sweet” (to avoid the ones with Erythritol). I have recommended that one to so many people over the years and always get great feedback. It has so much of our nutritional value that we need in a day. Because it is fermented and the grains in it are sprouted, it is very easy to digest plus it has whole food based methylated B and other vitamins, and probiotics and enzymes to support better energy, mood and gut health. It is super-fast and easy for people who are on the go go go. Sometimes when people have a lot of food sensitivities it can cause a bit of gas at first so ease in slowly and be sure to address leaky gut and biofilms to eliminate those food sensitivities.
Choose wisely when you eat out.
Pick restaurants that are farm to table style with fresh whole food ingredients, organic salad, high-quality meats, or organic plant-based options. Choose the best you can and feel good about your choice.
Beating yourself up over your choices will only cause undue stress and poor relationship with food. If you don’t feel so great after choosing poorly it is just your body’s way of letting you know it would like a better option next time. Every day is a new day, and it is ok to have setbacks. Each setback is the opportunity to grow and learn to listen to your body.
Are you ready for a healthier you? Check out my video page and follow on social media for more inspiration and empowerment!