Mostly-Healthy-Foodie

I don't do well with restriction. I will never be someone who can count calories or eat perfectly 100% of the time. There are certainly those who need that kind of structure, but I am not such a one.

My advice to those who find that they also don't do well with strict diets, is to make sure that you are still aiming for some kind of balance. We only have one body, so if we aren't taking the proper care of it, I think we're taking things for granted.  

I find, that the 80-20 rule is really quite effective. This is the concept of eating a balanced, healthy diet 80% of the time, while 20% of the time you are enjoying things that aren't necessarily healthy. 

Another way to look at it is the 1-to-10 scale. 1 being "I eat like shit. I'll admit it. Nothing I eat is good for me". 10 being "my diet is absolute perfection. Truly and honestly". I aim for an 8.

Here are some tips to help you play with your diet and find a healthy balance for yourself:

1. Sit down and ask yourself a few questions (I like to sit with a journal, but not everyone does).

          On a scale of 1-to-10, where is my diet?
          How is my energy?
          What are the unhealthy foods that I know I would be miserable without? And how can I at least minimize them? What are the ones I know I could eliminate?
          *** Honesty with yourself is key. This only affects you and your body. 

2. Take a look in your refrigerator and pantry. It really does make a difference to keep the junk to a minimum. If unhealthy food is super available, you're going to take advantage of it.

3. Look at the unhealthy foods you have. What are some healthy alternatives?  

For instance, if you love chips, try veggie chips or vegetables with hummus. Just try it. If you don't like it, try something else. 

If you love soda, first try soda made with real sugar (instead of high fructose corn syrup). Then, try carbonated water. Try adding fruit to your water.

http://www.hercampus.com/health/food/20-healthier-ways-satisfy-your-sweet-tooth

If you love sweets (like cake, cookies, donuts... you know what your sweet tooth hones in on!), then try making smoothies. Try fruit with a little bit of dark chocolate. Try fruit with yogurt and a little bit of honey. 

http://www.cookinglight.com/food/everyday-menus/healthy-dessert-recipes

http://www.hercampus.com/health/food/20-healthier-ways-satisfy-your-sweet-tooth

4. Minimize, if not eliminate, fast foods and instant foods. If it comes in a box or a wrapper, it isn't going to be the healthiest choice. If you absolutely don't have time to make something at home, stop at the grocery store. They have freshly made sandwiches. Most have salad bars. It will be just as quick. And it won't hurt your body and reduce your health potential.

5.  Look for ways to make your own food. Some of my favorite ways to make home cooking easy on myself are: bulk preparation. and the crockpot. AMAZING.

Bulk preparation
Choose a day that you know you have time to make something that you can eat for a few days at a time. Ray and I don't like eating the same thing for multiple meals, so I usually make two things in bulk at a time, that way we can alternate.

An easy one for us:  make a big batch of rice or quinoa. make a big bath of lightly cooked veggies (onions and garlic, broccoli, carrots, squash, mushrooms, etc, etc with spices). for protein, make a batch of beans (black beans, garbanzo beans, etc) and/or meat (chicken, fish).

Crockpot
I use my crockpot at least twice a week. It is a god send. Here are a couple of my favorites (I add kale and other veggies to every recipe, just as an easy way to increase my veggie intake!):

Green Chili

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/10/crockpot-turkey-white-bean-pumpkin.html

Chicken Curry

http://thelemonbowl.com/2013/05/slow-cooker-chicken-curry.html

Butternut Squash with Chicken and Quinoa

http://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/crockpot-butternut-squash-chicken-and-quinoa-soup/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+ChelseasMessyApron+(Chelsea%27s+Messy+Apron)&safe=on