The Top 3 Hacks For Healthy Eating

healthy eating

Not every “fit” person follows a diet.

Not every person who struggles with their body composition lacks self control.

Finding the right foods, ratios, and quantities to optimize the way you look and feel is an ever evolving process. Your body is in a constant state of change. Cells are dying and regenerating. The body we live in today is a result of many past choices. How we look and feel will be influenced by our food choices, age, gender, hormones, activities, sleep, and stress. There’s no one right answer.

There are however some areas we can focus on in our journey to looking and feeling great.

Here are the top 3 hacks for healthy eating!

  1. Pick your fats

  2. Eat more vegetables

  3. Make protein the foundation of every meal

 

1. Pick your fats

Fats stick with you. Not just figuratively, they actually make up the cell wall in every cell in your body. This affects the way cells communicate with one another as well as your body’s inflammatory response. That’s why the types and the quality of fats you choose to eat is such an important factor when it comes to healthy eating.

Fat Types:

  • Polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats can help provide your body with a sustainable energy source, decrease inflammation, and improve mental performance. The “good fats”. These types of fats are found in foods such as salmon, vegetable oils (ie: olive oil and peanut oil), nuts, seeds and avocados.
  • Saturated fats should be consumed sparingly. They are not all bad but high consumption of saturated fat may be linked to increased risk of heart disease. These types of fats are found in butter, cheese, milk, and pork. And while yes, that does include bacon, that doesn’t mean you have to cut out the bacon altogether. Just watch your consumption.
  • Trans fats should be avoided all together if possible. These are artificially produced fats that can be hazardous to our bodies. They are the fats that allow many products to have a longer shelf life. Many countries have taken steps to reduce the amount of trans fat in processed goods. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are the largest source of trans fats in our diets. We can reduce this type of fat by reducing the amount of processed foods we consume.

Fat Quality:

Each meal should include a healthy fat option that supports your goals. Fat quality in animal products can vary greatly depending on the conditions the animal was raised in and what they were. And while it may seem a little crazy, you are eating what the animal ate! Focus on humanely raised animal products, grass finished, and wild fish versus farm raised.

Fat amounts:

Working with an experienced nutritionist is a great way to calculate your fat needs for the day. This can vary based on your body type, genetics, and goals. Try to avoid high fat meals before or after exercise to avoid any digestive issues around training.

 

2. Eat more vegetables

Seems like a no-brainer but when you think about your meals over the past few days, how many of those contained a full serving of veggies? I think we could all do better in this area.

Vegetables are a great source of fiber, essential nutrients, and prebiotics to support gut health. They are also always going to be your best alternative when it comes to snacking. Most of us are not going to do any sort of damage by stuffing our face with broccoli and carrots!

 

3. Protein is the foundation of every meal

Humans need protein. There’s no way around it. The amino acids that make up proteins (plant or animal) are the building blocks for our muscles. Without sufficient protein in the diet our bodies will start breaking down muscle, diverting amino acids to perform other critical functions in the body.

So how much protein do you need? This again will vary a ton based on your goals, body composition, and genetics. Once you have your protein goal determined for the day. Set a protein goal for each meal by dividing that total daily amount by the number of meals you generally eat. Don’t forget to factor in your post workout shake!

For example, if you are shooting to consume 150 grams of protein per day and typically eat 5 times a day you would aim for about 30 grams of protein at each meal. Once you figure out your numbers it becomes easy to know what foods support that quantity of protein.

 

There you have it.

Follow these top 3 hacks for healthy eating and you’ll be in a really good spot! If you want to learn more, check out our YouTube Channel for our latest video/podcast focused on nutrition.
Lake Medina CrossFit – YouTube

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4 Tips To Help You Get Started

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Most of us have no problem once we’re at the gym, on the trail, or biting into a salad. An object in motion tends to stay in motion. But getting to that point. Doing the “healthy thing” or the “hard thing” that we know will benefit us. That can be a bit trickier.

There is a certain amount of activation energy we must muster anytime we want to break out of our normal habit patterns. However, it’s hard to make will power override the status quo every time we need to make a decision. If you’re someone who finds themselves frequently running into barriers when it comes to healthy habits, this article is for you!

Here are 4 Tips to help you get started on your healthy habits!

1. Define your task.
2. Make it as easy as possible to begin.
3. Find a way to make it more fun or interesting.
4. Stop publicly sharing your goals.

 

1. Define your task.

Specificity is your friend when it comes to taking action. The more focused and detailed your pursuit is, the more likely you will be to get it done. Just think about the following 3 statements:

  • “I’m going to eat healthy today.”
  • “I’m going to have a salad for lunch.”
  • “I’m going to eat a vegetable and lean protein with each meal and avoid eating sugar today.”

Which person do you think is going to have the most success with their healthy eating today?

Ding ding ding! If you said person number three you are absolutely correct. This person took an approach that set them up for success in their meal choices for the day. Notice that they didn’t have to do anything special to make this happen. The short amount of time it takes to plan how you will attack your healthy habit will pay tremendous dividends in the end!

 

2. Make it as easy as possible to begin.

As we talked about before, there is always a certain amount of activation energy required to start a new habit or task. It will be easier to get started if we can reduce the amount of activation energy.

That’s science right? Boom!

So how do we actually apply this concept? There are a ton of ways. Let’s say the habit is to go to the gym at 6am tomorrow morning. What are all the things that could make your trip to the gym happen successfully? You could:

  • Set your alarm so that you have enough time to wake up, get ready, and drive to the gym with 10-15 minutes to spare.
  • Set up your morning coffee and a simple breakfast so it’s ready to go.
  • Set a bedtime alarm reminding you to shut down the tech and get ready for bed at a desirable time.
  • Pick out your gym clothes and anything else you need to start your day off as a success.
  • RSVP/Sign up for the class.
  • Coordinate with a friend to carpool together to class. (This is a great way to stay accountable!)

The less you have to do in any given moment the easier it will be to take action. Try to eliminate as many barriers as possible that would present as an obstacle to your goal.

 

3. Find a way to make it more fun or interesting.

If you struggle to prepare healthy meals or don’t really like to exercise maybe you just haven’t found the approach that works for you. Trying a group fitness class, small group session, or personal training appointment might help you figure out the right environment and type of support you need to make going to the gym “not so bad” 🙂

If cooking and eating healthy is a struggle, try to come up with a ritual that makes meal prep more fun. Invite a friend over, crank up some tunes, or binge watch one of your favorite shows while you chop veggies and cook up your meals for the week!

 

4. Stop publicly sharing your goals.

Studies have shown that people who publicly announce their goals or intentions are actually less likely to follow through on them. When you tell someone “I’m going to lose 10 lbs” or “I’m going to hit the gym 5 days a week” it feels good at the moment. But according to the study, that sense of completeness you feel will make you less effective than if you were to keep the goals to yourself.

So what should you do instead? Write down the goals you have or some of the changes you want to make. Discuss a plan of action with an experienced coach who can tell you what it takes to get there. Keep it secret. Keep it safe. Get it done.

 

 

There you have it. 4 tips to help you get started towards your wellness goals!

When you hear that alarm go off in the morning and your first instinct is to hit that snooze button, remember this maxim from Marcus Aurelius,

“Is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?”

Remember it is human nature to seek comfort.
But it is our most basic desire that we are satisfied in the process.
Hold yourself to that higher standard.
The delayed gratification of getting out of bed for a walk or to hit the gym will improve your life and fulfillment in the long run. The warm bed feels good in the moment, but you’ll sleep easier knowing your actions are aligned with your words.

 

If you need an extra little boost, check out this video: Nathan Smith. Choose Life.

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