We all know the nutrition is an important part of our overall health & wellbeing. However, when ‘nutrition’ is often discussed, suddenly the conversation quickly turns to diets, latest fads, super foods, calorie counting, shakes/pills, juice cleanses, deprivation or eliminating food groups.
Sound exciting? Umm, no thanks
Here are some key signs that you are taking the wrong approach to what you eat
- You are hungry
- You are eliminating whole food groups
- Your brain starts switching off
- You are obsessed with food
- You categorize food as ‘good’, ‘bad’, ‘cheat days’ or ‘earning your food’
- You don’t have the will power to stick to a diet
I am going to let you in on a little secret. You can easily improve the nutritional value of your food by changing nothing to your current diet AND ADDING MORE!
What?
Over the next week I don’t want you to change anything about your current diet. You don’t need to eliminate anything or count calories.
All you need to do is ADD MORE colourful vegetables and fruit. See if you can add more to each main meal across the day. Just an extra handful of something fresh/frozen/canned
The awesome part about this approach is that veggies are generally fairly low in calories, but they are nutrient dense. Full of minerals, vitamins, fibre, antioxidants and goodness that actually make your body function better.
As a Pregnant or Breastfeeding Mum, your baby sucks out all the goodness and we get function on the leftovers. We have all suffered from baby brain & low energy, right!
Even if your baby-making days or breastfeeding days are over, you still may be slightly depleted in some nutrients stores from the baby-business so a top up is always going to help.
Give it a go for a week and I want you to notice how you feel. Do you feel better, worse, exactly the same??
Here are some of my easy ADD MORE go-to’s.
Smoothie – handful of dark leafy greens or some creamy avocado
Omlette – load up another handful of veggies
Cereal – add some berry goodness
Google salads – find an appetizing recipe to boost up your side dishes
Grow something – love picking cherry tomatoes straight off the vine
Grate them up – maybe you hate veggies, grate them up into your lunch/dinners
Go shopping – make sure you have a good variety on hand so you have the choice to add more.
The truth is, nutrition is not rocket science. We have somehow turned food into a big obsessive overwhelming industry and we start doubting ourselves.
Your body is actually talking to you all the time, but through our hectic lifestyles our little voice gets drowned out. Your body knows what is needs, what it craves and when you have had enough.
Trust yourself. Food is to be a joyful experience
Philippa Bowman
Pre/Postnatal Fitness Expert
Found of Nurtured Fitness
