You Don’t Need To Eat Healthy 24/7

Thank you all for your overwhelmingly kind and encouraging comments to Monday’s post. This is why I write- because of you guys. My hope is that the more we get talking about true health, healing and body acceptance the more women can find freedom and the healthier our society as a whole will be. 

Nutrition is a topic with so many varying opinions that if we tried to follow all the recommendations we’d go in circles for days, even years, trying to come up with the perfect way to eat.

But that’s stressful. And I think a much simpler way of looking at things is by looking at the big picture. What does your diet look like in its entirety? The big picture. Not on a meal to meal basis or even a day to day basis, but rather a week to week basis. There will be times when we’re traveling and eating out a lot, so maybe the food is a little heavier than usual. Maybe it’s a weekend full of festivities and lots of deliciousness that might not be the “healthiest.” Right now we’re entering into the holiday season and so there will be parties and family dinners and cocktails and all that other fun stuff.

So how can we not become overwhelmed with these situations, enjoy them and all the good food that comes along, and still keep our bodies feeling good?

There are a few simple things to keep in mind that I think not only keep our bodies energized, but help us care for ourselves physically AND emotionally. Because having a healthy “balance” when it comes to food + exercise is just as much about the cake as it as about the kale.

The first thing I like to focus on is a good ole green smoothie. I drink them when I’m craving something refreshing. It’s a quick and easy way to pack in an extra 2-3 servings of veggies without even thinking about it. My favorite smoothie combination is 1 cup unsweetened almond milk + 1/2 frozen banana + about 1/2 or 1 cup of frozen organic spinach + 1/2 scoop of Vega or Skoop protein powder. I usually sip one on the way to class or the hospital before breakfast #2.

Which is typically oats in some form.

This WIAW, was overnight oats with 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup pumpkin, 1/2 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 sliced apple and lots of cinnamon! In an almost empty TJs peanut butter jar which is amazing. And $2.99. #holla

Secondly, I focus on getting in veggies for at least 1 meal a day. I focus, that doesn’t mean it always happens and that’s OKAY. That might mean dinner (like last night at Sweet Greens, post hot yoga sesh) or at lunch time. Since kale is in season, I eat a lot of that. Then for lunch yesterday, I added green beans, bell pepper, nutritional yeast, roasted butternut squash and avocado to some massaged kale.

Lunch also included two pumpkin white chocolate chip muffins and an apple + PB

Afternoon snackage of veggies + PB (probably a couple tablespoons or so) and a bowl of TJs cheerios with almond milk

On weekdays when I’m just doing my usual routine, my eats don’t vary that much. Dinners are usually veggie full, yet simple. When I’m eating at home I try to aim for half my plate to be veggies. Last night was BBQ tofu (just cover cubed tofu in BBQ sauce and roast at 350 for 30 minutes) with a sweet potato + coconut butter and roasted brussels sprouts taken with me on the way to bible study.

But the weekends might look a little or a lot different. There’s usually wine involved, dessert, and dinners are usually bigger and not as veg heavy. And that’s why we need weekends. To get out of our routine, spend time with those we love and just relax.

It’s easy to get caught up in wanting to eat healthy all the time, but taking a step back and looking at the day and week as a whole is what’s important. Stressing about food is not important. If I’ve drank some green smoothies on weekdays, and focused on filling up 1/2 my plate with veggies when I’m eating at home, then I know my body has gotten the nutrients it needs. All the other times- like dinners out with friends or parties or whatever- enjoy them for what they are, which is spending time with those you love and eating awesome food.

There will always be vegetables tomorrow.