What’s up, *|FNAME|*!
I hope all is well. It’s time to add on our next nutritional habit, but before we do so let’s review what all we have covered so far.
And remember, these are just suggestions. Take and leave them as you wish and according to your values, goals, and priorities. And if you ever have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask.
As far as nutrition for weight loss and overall good health, the “big rocks” we have covered so far are:
-Slow eating.
-Mindful eating, without distractions.
-Discontinuing the meal at 80% full.
-Getting one serving of protein with every meal.
-Drinking half your body weight in ounces every day.
Our mental skills and practices are:
-Finding time, scheduling your workouts.
-Clarifying our identity, values, goals, and priorities.
-Practicing the Jedi Breath, finding cues to remind us.
-Practicing tolerating discomfort.
-Practicing self-compassion.
-Dealing with ambivalence, using the two crazy questions technique.
-Shaping the path, avoiding those hyenas!
-Kill the “shoulds,” no more cussing.
Now, about what Grandma said..
Welcome to our next nutritional habit:
Eat one serving of vegetables with each meal!
Fruits and vegetables are heaven sent packages of fuel for our bodies, loaded with nutrients and antioxidants to help us fight an insane amount of diseases, provide energy, and maintain a strong and lean body.
Whether you’re Paleo or Vegan, Intermittent Fasting or Keto, Mediterranean or New Nordic, almost all “health-conscious diets” agree on one thing:
Vegetables are a good thing!
I’ll try not to bore you with all the biochemistry of what these different gifts from above do for us, but thankfully Precision Nutrition has prepared a couple of awesome infographics for your pleasure. Enjoy!
The phytonutrients listed above have been proven to lower the incidence of:
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Cardiovascular disease
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Colon cancer
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High blood cholesterol
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High blood pressure
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Prostate cancer
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Type 2 diabetes
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Obesity
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Stroke
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Eye disease
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Asthma
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Cervical cancer
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Breast cancer
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
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Endometrial cancer
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Gastric cancer
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Lung cancer
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Lymphoma
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Osteoporosis
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Ovarian cancer
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Pancreatic cancer
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Thyroid cancer
But what if I don’t like vegetables?!
Well, then I guess you’re SOL.
Jk, jk.. there are actually quite a few reasons you might not like them, but how you perceive the taste of veggies affects your fitness and health.
If we know what flavors you like and prefer, we might actually be able to predict your body composition or your health.
Yes, people vary by age, country, and culture. For instance, German kids like fat the most, Spanish kids like umami (referring to a savory “meatiness”) the most.
But overall, if you like sweet and fatty flavors a lot, there’s also a chance that you might have a higher body weight; the reverse is true as well.
But guess what???!
We can change our flavor preferences.
While you might think you’re an adult, and your palate is set, research suggests that taste preferences can change a lot over time.
In other words, if you hate vegetables, you can change that… if you want.
3 steps to really love your veggies
Regardless of where you’re starting (never eaten a green thing ever, or just want some new ways to eat plants) there is a simple formula you can use to make the bitterness of vegetables less intense, more palatable, and much more enjoyable:
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Challenge.
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Complement.
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Cushion.
Here is another handy little infographic to show what we’re talking about!
I hope this helps and gives you some excitement for our new habit!
Veggies can be cool, embrace the powers within.
As always, give me a shout if you have questions or struggles of any kind.
You’re doing great, *|FNAME|*. Be proud of the person you are, the challenges you’ve overcome, and the progress you’re making.
