One of the most powerful ways to fully impact your health and fitness journey is by empowering your normal dietary habits. When people hear about health and fitness in relation to food, the most common ideas that come to mind are strict diets and discouraging regimens. It seems like every time you look at how to start eating more healthy, fit, and fresh meals, it can be a seemingly impossible task.
Not only is the idea of preparing meals intimidating for some people, but finding out how ingredients work and what can actually help is challenging. Each person is unique and no two health and fitness journeys are alike. So finding out how food can work best for you is something deeply personal that will be a journey.
The good news is that finding fit and fresh meals doesn’t have to be hard, or intimidating. If you have been wondering how you can improve your normal dietary habits to improve your overall health, here are 5 tips to help you on your journey.
It’s All About the Long Game
The first step toward finding out what food works best for you and your goals is all about mindset. Food is a necessary part of life, as you need nutrition to accomplish everything from normal boldly function to daily goals. Eating should never be thought of as a ‘temporary’ thing, and this is where diet culture has really had a negative impact.
The truth is, food should work for you and you should enjoy it, and this comes down to a mindset of cultivation. While a diet culture mindset sees food as a way to cut corners and get the results you want, cultivating your food experience over time will give you long-lasting results. There’s nothing more frustrating than committing to a harsh diet plan, only to see its results melt away the moment you deviate from it.
Cultivating balance for fit and fresh meals involves educating yourself on what is important about food and then exploring your own preferences. It’s a long game where you try new things, and over time develop chronic habits that lead to healthier outcomes with long-lasting results.
Combination is Key
One of the best ways to cultivate balance for fit and fresh meals is to fully embrace combinations of different foods. One of the best parts about healthy food choices is that they can not only taste delicious, and have big nutritional benefits, but they are also fun. Food is more than just a way of getting what you need for your daily nutritional needs, it’s about self-expression and having fun.
A huge part of learning how to cultivate healthy food habits is to start creating a relationship with food, and this takes some exploring and creativity. Try new things, and constantly be wondering how different foods could pair together – and then try it! Over time you will find the specific food pairings that bring you joy and boost your health!
The Big Three
Having a very basic understanding of nutrition is also key to knowing how to make satisfying, life-giving decisions when it comes to your normal diet. You don’t have to get a college degree to understand one of the most basic concepts in nutrition, food is meant to be easy! While there are medical and nutritional experts that can help you understand food if you have any conditions like sensitivities and allergies, here are some easy guidelines.
Carbs
Carbs in diet culture get a bad name, but that’s absolutely silly. Carbs are one of the most important and fundamental parts of your nutritional needs. Your entire body runs off of sugars, and that’s exactly what a carbohydrate is. Whether it’s pasta, sweet potatoes, or your favorite whole grain bread – make sure you get the recommended amount of carbs you need and don’t think of them as the bad guys.
Fats
If carbs get a bad name in diet culture, then fats are purely criminal. The truth about fats though, is that your body desperately needs them. Fats are one of the most healthy, nutritious things you can add to your diet as good, healthy fats do everything from support cellular health to create energy storage. Fish, nuts, lagoons, and avocados are all incredible sources of rich dietary fats that your body needs!
Protein
Lastly, cultivating fit and fresh meals has to involve protein. Protein is how your body builds muscle, repairs damage, and even helps boost your immune system. Proteins, whether plant or animal-based, are another area where you can explore and be creative. Fish, poultry, beef, and plant-based proteins all have unique flavor profiles that can create an endless variety of dishes.
Conclusion
Finding ways to cultivate fit and fresh food is a journey that can help you find what foods not only work for you but that you absolutely love.