7-Steps to Eat Better
Summer is approaching, and many of us are thinking about getting in shape for that swimsuit. Everyone’s former thought, start eating clean, here and there. While this may seem the right thing to do, are you doing it the right way?
As a fitness and wellness coach, I created this guide to help you eat better in the right way. It walks you through the importance of eating better and the steps you can take to eat better successfully. Are you ready?! Follow through!
Why You Need to Eat Better
You can’t overemphasize the benefits of healthy eating habits. Regardless of what you consume to maintain your healthy eating plan, you must consume foods in appropriate proportion to achieve a balanced diet. With that, you will be able to achieve your eating goals.
Some of the benefits you achieve from eating better are:
Weight loss
If this is not the most crucial goal people eat, it is one of the common goals. Everyone wants to maintain a good weight and shape. That is because there are lots of health risks attached to being overweight. Some of those health issues include heart attack, cancers, diabetes, and unhealthy bones. But consuming healthy foods protects you from potential health issues due to overweight.
Good heart health
Consuming foods that contain a high level of cholesterol is dangerous to your heart. The common and foremost problem is high blood pressure (HBP). And HBP can cause cardiovascular diseases. But when you consume healthy foods, you are improving your heart’s health.
Healthy bones and teeth
One common trait in older people is the loss of energy for some activities and the inability to eat properly. This is due to unhealthy bones and loss of their dentition. An excellent way to prevent this is by eating healthy foods in your early days, that is, while you are young and able. That gives you great physical energy and healthy teeth while in old age.
Reduced cancer risk
Unhealthy foods may cause obesity. The research found that obesity can increase one’s vulnerability to having cancer. But consuming healthy foods may protect you from this, especially when you consume foods that contain antioxidants. These chemical substances protect the body cells from cancer’s damaging effect. Examples of such foods are blueberries, leafy greens, pumpkins, and carrots.
Improved digestion and absorption
When you eat foods that contain high fiber, it helped to improve metabolism. The microorganisms in the gut are responsible for quick and seamless absorption. Likewise, they protect you from dangerous bacteria and viruses.
7 Steps to Eat Better
Eating better to attain a specific goal is not rocket science. You may do it to lose weight, gain shape, or become more healthy nutrition-wise. It is a process that comes in steps. But we tend to jump into it a hundred percent because we want to do it right away. It doesn’t always work that way effectively.
Whatever goal you have for eating better, following a process will help achieve your nutritional goals. As such, we will walk through our 7 Step To Eat Better guide together no matter your dietary preference.
Step 1: Observe your eating.
One way we have formed our eating habits is by being mindless about the things we do. We consume foods and snacks almost every second out of habit. We eat something when we are bored, watching TV, at the cinemas, or doing our workouts.
You must be mindful of what you eat. Think about what you eat. This equips you with understanding the effects it has on your body. The more calories your take in, the more you have to burn. People who are mindful of what they eat consume 30% less food.
However, know that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to eating well. Be aware of your eating goals and how to achieve them. You can decide to be low carb or vegan. You know what you want. I have a task for you. Rate yourself from A to F of where you are right now, where you want to be and what is important to you to eat healthier. Those questions are essential for being mindful of what you eat.
Step 2: Kitchen purging
There is a famous saying that says, “Abs are made in the kitchen.” That’s right. For you to attain good eating habits, your kitchen must contain healthy food. Like I tell my members, if you buy it, you will eat it.
Get into your kitchen and get rid of trigger foods and highly processed foods from your pantries and refrigerators. I know that sounds crazy because you have kids. I will share a mental trick that works with you. Dedicate a section of your cabinets to your kids.
That way, you know you don’t have any business there whatsoever. With that, you get rid of temptations. One other thing that works perfectly is cleaning up your pantries and refrigerators before grocery shopping.
Step 3: Meal Planning
Everyone hates meal planning. Maybe not everyone, but most people don’t like it. They feel you don’t have a variety of foods to pick from. Also, you have to cook different foods for the family if they don’t like it. Meal planning is not complex as it seems. As a result, there is a template available for download.
Start by writing what you normally each day. Don't make it complicated. What do you normally eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Then review what may be unhealthy. Now replace a few of those items with something healthier. Don’t replace everything. We are only trying to help you create a new habit. Don’t make it overwhelming.
Now, that’s a meal plan. Do that for each day. You can start now to plan for tomorrow.
Step 4: Shop and Prep
Now that you know what you want to eat tomorrow, it’s time to prepare it. But before shopping for your groceries, check your store and refrigerator. Know what you need. Make your list and go shopping. To save time and money, order your groceries online for delivery. Pro-tip - have it delivered on Sat to meal prep on Sunday.
Step 5: Better approach, Better portion
Controlling your portions is essential. No one wants to do math before eating by counting calories. Here at Fit4, we don’t believe in macro- or calorie-counting. Our approach is different; you use your hand as a guide for your portions. Check out the free download, so see what that is.
Step 6: Drink water
Drinking water is essential not only for weight loss but also for your general health. We are all aware of its benefits like enhancing metabolism, reduces headache due to dehydration, removing toxins, and a host of other benefits. Women are advised to take between 61-91 ounces of water per day. Therefore, make sure you have good access to water.
Step 7: Celebrate your wins
Forming a new habit is hard. It is like cracking nuts with your teeth. It takes a lot of mental energy and discipline. The major change factor is defining your “why.” This helps you get emotionally connected to the process.
As such, it is essential to celebrate your wins, even your little victories. It may be drinking a gallon of water, eating what is on your meal plan, or showing up three times a week to exercise. These small wins push you to do more every day. Take time to celebrate them.
Wrap Up
Eat better to get healthy and fit. Follow the steps above, but there is one crucial one not mentioned. To be consistent. Keep moving! Some days you may want to throw in the towel because it feels overwhelming. Don’t do it. You have to stay consistent and keep moving. That way, you stay fit while you eat better.
When you eat better, you feel better, you do better, and you ultimately live better.
Download the Free E-Book - 7-Steps to Eating Better Guide