3 ways to let healthy eating be simple!

Do you wish you could just press the “easy” button on having a healthy lifestyle? Yeah, you’re not the only one. And I don’t want to burst your bubble, but ... you can’t. Whether you made a decision to be the healthiest version of yourself one decade ago or one day ago, you should know that your goal will require daily effort from you. It’s going to take some work.

So, now that you know that your new lifestyle won’t be easy, I have good news for you! It can be simple. So, please let it be simple. Simple, not easy. And, because I’m a nerd, let’s look at the definitions of easy and simple, as according to Merriam-Webster.

Definition of easy:

1. causing or involving little difficulty or discomfort

2. requiring or indicating little effort, thought, or reflection

Definition of simple:

1. free from ostentation or display

2. sheer, unmixed

3. free from elaboration or figuration

4. readily understood or performed

As the old adage says, nothing worth having comes easy. This may be difficult for you. You may experience some discomfort. But you can do it. It doesn’t have to be complicated, overwhelming or confusing. It can be straightforward, understandable and sustainable. So, keep reading to learn 3 ways to let healthy eating be simple.

1. You can have healthy eating habits without squeezing into one category.

Every single week someone (a patient, colleague or neighbor) asks me if she should go keto. Every. Single. Week. It’s crazy how popular this diet is! It’s hot! But it’s not a fad. It’s been around for ages. But now, it’s on trend. You can learn more about what the keto diet is in my blog post “4 Trendy Diets.” 

Suffice it to say, I’m not against keto. I’m against going on a diet in general. While some people need a super-specific diet prescribed to them, most don’t. Your healthy eating habits don’t have to be squeezed into one category. You don’t have to go keto, go paleo, or go vegan in order to have healthy eating habits. Of course, you may if you want to. But none of these diets is the definition of eating well.

Ruth Soukup, the author of Do It Scared, refers to her way of eating as pescaterian keto with a bacon-eating exception. Once upon a time, my father-in-law was a vegan who also ate salmon. Your eating habits don’t have to be squeezed into one category. You may find that your eating habits spill out of one diet style and spill into another. And that’s ok! You do you. But whatever you do - educate yourself.

When you educate yourself, you have the power to eat in a way that honors your body best. For example, the methodology that I teach focuses on the Core 4 nutrients. I taught about the Core 4 in my blog post What should I eat? I educate my clients about the four core nutrients to include in their meals in order to serve their bodies well. And I educate them about proportions: which nutrient does your body need most? Which one does it need least?

This way of eating starts as a way of thinking. There are no restrictions. There are no rules. There’s no “good” or “bad” list. There’s just education and empowerment about how to create a healthy meal.

2. You can have healthy eating habits without going hungry.

I’ve heard several nutritionists say, and I’m paraphrasing, you should always be just a little bit hungry. J.J. Virgin, the author of The Sugar Impact Diet, is one of them. I vehemently disagree. Moreover, I’ve heard Shawn Stevenson, the author of Sleep Smarter, suggest that you eat your meals from bread plates instead of dinner plates to restrict the quantity of food you eat. Yup, in other words, just be hungry. I mean, bread plates are for toddler meals.

Hunger is a sign. And the sign reads “eat!” Why anyone would teach you to ignore the sign is beyond me! If you’re hungry, you may be low on energy. And you need food to make energy. And you need energy to live your life. I think encouraging you to stay hungry is miserable at best and dangerous at worst. 

It is helpful to learn how to interpret hunger without ignoring it and suffering. For one, thirst is often mistaken as hunger. Here’s why: in your brain, the thirst and hunger centers are very close together. Actually, water is more important for your body’s functions than any food. But still at least 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.  So, your body, in its attempt to hydrate itself, may send lookalike signals in an attempt to get itself some water. Therefore, thirst may feel like hunger.

So, don’t ignore your hunger; investigate it. When you  feel hungry, you have the power to ask yourself Am I hungry? And with that one simple but meaningful question, you can give your body what it truly needs. If you’re not hungry, maybe you are thirsty. So, you get to drink water. Or maybe you’re tired. Can you plan for rest? Or stressed. Maybe some deep breathing? Excited? Yay! How else can you celebrate your excitement? Bored? Get after it and go entertain yourself!

But if you truly are hungry eat. But maybe even more important than that, evaluate your day’s meals and improve the next ones so that you’re more satisfied during and after each meal. For example, do you get a 3 PM hunger pang? If so, do an audit of the day’s meals because that 3 PM hunger pang is often a sugar craving. Even more importantly, that sugar craving is likely a signal that you didn’t get all the nutrients you needed that day. That’s where the Core 4 come in! And if that 3 PM sugar craving is a regular occurrence, including the Core 4 will help you balance your sugar and banish that craving for good.

3. You can have healthy eating habits without spending hours in the kitchen.

No, really! You can! Healthy eating does not have to take lots of your time.

This is one area where social media can be a blessing and a curse. Do you follow food bloggers on Instagram? Well, I sure do! One of my favorites is The Modern Proper. Their food looks amazing. And it tastes even better (I’ve cooked several of their recipes). But for my life, it’s not simple enough for everyday cooking. And that’s ok!

Instagram can inspire you to try new, delicious dishes but it can also set up an unreasonable standard for you to achieve. So, I just want to remind you that your healthy meals don’t have to be Instagram-worthy. At all. They can be delicious and nutritious and not even remotely worthy of a photo.

Here’s one way that I keep my meals simple. I make smoothies using frozen fruit and I rarely use fresh produce to make them. And while prepping those smoothies from fresh fruits and veggies would look much more attractive than prepping them from frozen produce, a swoon-worthy Instagram story isn’t my goal. My goal is to make a Core 4 smoothie that will serve my body well. And starting with frozen produce doesn’t detract from the quality of the smoothie at all. In fact, I enjoy the smoothies so much more when I start with frozen ingredients because I get a colder, thicker smoothie. So tasty!

Now, if you like to spend hours in the kitchen preparing meals … You. Do. You. I think that’s amazing. Go for it! But I want you to know it’s not necessary. I certainly don’t spend hours cooking everyday. Ain’t nobody got time for that! That’s why all the meals I include in the sample meal plan of the Sugar Solution Lab can be made in 30 minutes or less! Simple, quick meals make the most sense for me and they make the most sense for my working mom clients.

You can make lots of nutritious meals without taking lots of time. Doesn’t that sound simple?

“Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.” - Albert Einstein

Remember - it won't be easy. But here's how you can keep it simple.

1. You can create your own lifestyle.

2. You can satisfy your hunger.

3. And you can do it efficiently.

Now, if you’re wondering how? … I’d love to help! I can teach you about the Core 4 and help you incorporate them into your daily life. That’s what my 5-day Healthy Eating Habits Challenge is all about. You can join me in the challenge by clicking here.