It's back to school and time for fall activities to start. For many people, including my clients, this means packing lunches for their kids, acting as a chauffeur and putting healthy eating further down the priority list. You may be trying to enjoy the nice weather or get outside to move your body, but find that you're too busy. Whatever reasons or excuses you have for not eating healthfully, there are many possible solutions when you're motivated to change.
You know what I mean – how many times have you asked or been asked “how are you?" and responded with “busy"? This has become our norm or perhaps even a statement that we seek out so that we're just as busy as the next person. Our days still have 24 hours and we have many modern conveniences that save us time (washing machines, vehicles, grocery stores, etc.). The problem is where we choose to focus our time.
Too often people wait for a negative diagnosis or a health scare before they make changes to their eating and activity patterns. However, we have to remember that health isn't merely the absence of disease and work to take care of what we have. This may mean making some changes, but start with one or two goals so that you have focus and can stick with it. My brother recently commented that he was in the habit of ordering pop every time he ate out – it was an automatic choice, a habit. He consciously made a decision and now opts for water or milk. A small change like that can make a big difference to your health, and you might not even notice the change or miss the pop.
Take a moment to examine your excuses, habits or automatic food choices and see what stands out. Coming up with strategies for change and dealing with temptations will help you to succeed. If you're not sure where to look or what healthy habits to start, seek out a registered dietitian to support you in improving/maintaining your health and reducing your risk of chronic disease. Change is hard, but possible.
Stephanie Langdon, RD Something Nutrishus Counselling & Coaching www.nutrishus.com