Simple Nutrition Insights
Welcome to Simple Nutrition Insights, your practical guide to understanding nutrition in less than 30 minutes. Join us as we break down the science of healthy eating into digestible insights and actionable tips. Whether you're a busy parent or just short on time, our goal is to provide you with straightforward advice to enhance your well-being. Tune in for expert interviews, evidence-based advice, and quick, easy-to-implement strategies for nourishing your body and living your best life.
Simple Nutrition Insights
Create Lasting Wellness with Micro Habits and Balanced Nutrition
Kick off your new year with a fresh approach to nutrition and wellness habits that stick. Imagine starting with grand resolutions only to see them slip away by March—that sounds familiar, right? In this episode of Simple Nutrition Insights, I, Leonila Campos, share how you can avoid this common pitfall by embedding habits into your daily life so naturally that they become as automatic as brushing your teeth. Through personal stories and practical advice, I'll guide you on mastering the art of consistency and self-reminding to cultivate lasting changes in your lifestyle.
Let’s transform your wellness journey by embracing the power of micro habits. I had a fascinating conversation with the CEO of Malk plant-based milk, where we uncovered how small daily actions, like an extra glass of water or a few minutes of movement, can lead to significant lifestyle changes. Instead of massive overhauls, we'll focus on incremental progress and a mindset of adding rather than restricting—ensuring your meals are as balanced as they are satisfying. This episode promises a practical roadmap to incorporating positive habits that can revolutionize your health journey.
Meal planning and holistic wellness take center stage as we dive deeper into creating healthy habits for everyday success. Learn how a simple 15-minute meal planning session can save you time and stress while fostering family bonds. Plus, discover how combining food groups can stave off hunger and why stress management, sleep, and self-care are crucial for overall well-being. From limiting fast food indulgences to understanding emotional connections with food, you'll gain the tools to equip both you and your family with essential life skills for a healthier, happier year ahead.
Thank you for listening. Please subscribe to this podcast and share with a friend. If you would like to know more about my services, please message at fueledbyleo@gmail.com
My YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0SqBP44jMNYSzlcJjOKJdg
Hey, hey, welcome back to another episode in the Simple Nutrition Insights Podcast. I am your host, leonina Campos, registered Dietitian, and I'm here to help you build a healthier, happier life, one step at a time. As we head into the new year, I think it's a perfect time to talk about setting the foundation for strong nutrition and wellness habits. So in today's episode we'll explore simple, practical steps that you can take right now to start the year off strong and stay consistent and continue to build onto those habits throughout the rest of the year. I do see this pattern often where people have these new year resolutions or this new year new me, and I love that. I think this is great, it's definitely a great start. But as the months go by, usually that motivation and that drive to change things peaks around February, march. But as the summer gets closer and closer and we get busier and busier, these goals, these new plan that we have, right, kind of starts to fall off and if we haven't built really strong habits, then we kind of go back to our old ways, because that's where it feels comfortable, that's where we do better, that's where we thrive, essentially because we are creatures of habit, right. So we like when things are when things don't change, right. That is just our human nature, and so it's really important to establish these really strong habits. And in order to do that, you have to be consistent, right. Like we really have to build this consistency where it feels that it's now part of our day-to-day. Now it feels that it's almost second nature. Right, if you think about strong habits that you built and that are with you at an early age, think of brushing your teeth. Right, it's something that you do almost automatically. You don't have to think about, hopefully. Right? You don't have to be like I have to brush my teeth, like it's so automatic, right, like, don't have to be like I have to brush my teeth, like it's so automatic, right, like you're like this is my routine. I wake up in the morning, I wash my face, or I take a shower, I brush my teeth and I go about my day. Nighting comes around, you know. I wash my face again, I do what I need to do, I brush my teeth and I go to sleep. That's pretty much the same thing, right, you build those habits so strongly that now they're second nature. Right, but what helped you to do that? It helped the consistency right.
Speaker 1:Either your parents or whoever was showing you how to brush your teeth, is that constant reminder. And I see that with my kids, right, constantly I have to remind them don't forget to brush your teeth. Okay, guys, it's time to go. Let's get going, let's brush our teeth so we can leave and we can go to school. So I'm literally reminding them every day, twice a day. Right, let's brush our teeth. And my oldest is getting into a habit, right, but I still have to do it, and he's already 80 years old. So we haven't gotten to that point where I'm like, okay, I don't have to remind you, I'm still doing it. But see, it's that consistency, right, the reminder.
Speaker 1:And as we get into adulthood, nobody's considering us, right, of the things that we have to do, of if we have a strong habit that we want to change. There's not that person that is telling us hey, as a reminder, don't forget to do X, y, z, right, we have to do it on our own. And sometimes that is the hard part, like really trying to push ourselves and remind ourselves on a daily basis that that is what we need to do, and like just doing the thing. I completely understand. I have lots of things that I have said okay, I'm going to do better. I am going to try to get better at it, for example, posting on social media right every day once, at least once a day. I still struggle a lot right, because other things come into place and it's not like I haven't made it a priority to say this is what I need to do to get better right. So I think it's definitely another way to like figure out okay, where are my challenges? Why is it that I'm not able to or that I haven't accomplished that goal right? And it's not to punish yourself never to do that right, but to give you an insight as to what the challenges are, because, based on those challenges, then you can figure out an actionable plan to tackle those challenges right and get closer to that goal.
Speaker 1:But the main thing here is consistency. You have to build consistency to create that A goal right, to make that a habit. Once you make it a habit, believe me, like you are, almost don't need a reminder, and it comes so natural, so organic, that if you don't do it, you miss it right. So, for example, I oftentimes get like my friends or people that know me right, and they ask me how are you able to wake up at 4.35 in the morning and get your workout done, right, and then do everything else that you have to do? And I think it's because I've done this for many years.
Speaker 1:Right, I'm a morning person. I'm able to have better ideas, I do better when I start my day with my workout and I just start my day like that, right, I see it as a way to. In a way, it's therapy for myself. Right, it is the time that I get for myself to build my habits to take care of my body in that way, because the rest of the day I'm busy, right, I'm busy with work, I'm doing other projects. When the kids come home, I'm busy with them doing homework and you know these other things, and so the mornings are where I get that me time. So I think I really look forward to that.
Speaker 1:I really look forward to getting my workout done and just being able to feel strong and I've done that for half my life, really and I think what has helped me is the consistency and just being able to enjoy it. It's something that I look forward to, and I think that is where, at first, you have to find something that you can say I can tolerate these, right. Maybe I don't like it, maybe I'm not so such a fan about it, but I can tolerate it. Right, because that's going to make it a little easier. If you fight to do something, every time it's a fight, every time it's a struggle, and any distraction or anything that comes to you in a way to not do that thing, you're going to take that. You're going to take that chance and be like, well, I had to do something else. Right, because you just don't want to do it, you just don't like it. And so what I'm suggesting here, right, is just start very small, like really start with something that you can say I can tolerate that, right. Again, I don't like it, but it's not something that you know, if I do it, it's the end of the world, and then you can go from there and build onto that.
Speaker 1:So, anyway, I think I got ahead of myself here, but I want to talk a little bit about the power of small habits, right, micro habits, and this is a concept that I actually talked about with the CEO of Malk plant-based milk. So if you haven't had a chance to listen to that, I highly encourage you and listen to Jason, because we talked about you know, obviously, the business, right, and how much he's done to grow milk, milk, organics. But we also talked about micro habits, right? That really, really small habits, things that you can do on a daily basis to help you create these bigger habits. So, essentially, the key to lasting change, right's really starting small.
Speaker 1:So, instead of aiming for a massive overhaul, right, or a massive goal, focus on building one or two manageable habits. So let's take, for example, hydration, so committing to drinking one extra glass of water in the morning, right. So, for example, I'm going to elaborate here on each of these examples. But I have lots of clients that say, you know, I only drink two water bottles, right, you know those regular 17 ounce water bottles. And so we're thinking about, okay, how can we add a little bit more water? Right, sometimes we say, okay, our goal is 64 ounces, but that's a bigger goal, right, but slowly. How can we add that? Because if we look at the bigger goal, we're going to get frustrated, right, we're going to be like how can I drink so much water? How can I get two more of these water bottles if I'm struggling to drink these two? Right, so really starting small.
Speaker 1:So, for example, okay, I drink two, you know, in the next two weeks I'll try to drink one extra one, right, and not only stop in there, right, but figuring out how can I fit in this extra water bottle, right, that I'm trying to drink for these next two weeks. Maybe I'll start with half. Right, I'll start with half a water bottle. You know that I can, that I can divide, right? So a quarter of a water bottle sounds silly, but a quarter of a water bottle with my snacks, right? Or before I drink coffee, I'll drink that, you know, quarter of that water bottle and then something like that, right? So it has to make sense for you and you have to say, okay, this is the goal, this is how I am going to achieve this goal, right, because if it's just like up in the air, it's not going to happen. You have to have that roadmap that is directing you and guiding you to get to that point. So that's one example.
Speaker 1:The other one is daily movement, right? So start with 10 minutes of stretching or walking each day. Oftentimes, when my clients and I talk about movement right, or exercise, they think about like, I have to go to the gym for an hour, two hours, right. Or we think about like these bigger, massive goals and I say, how about if we start with five minutes of walking, right, like if you have five minutes after lunch or five minutes before lunch, just take a five minute walk, go outside, right. Or if you have a bigger building, walk around your building for five minutes, that's it right. Just focus on that for these next two weeks and then we'll see how how it goes. Because, if there, if you're already struggling with visualizing yourself going to the gym, which is something that you're like it's going to take time, it's going to take money, I have to get my clothes ready and you start naming all the challenges. Again, the likelihood of that happening is probably zero, right, because you're like have so many challenges and like this is not happening, versus like I can totally walk for five minutes, right. Or I can totally stretch for five minutes or do a little bit of yoga for five minutes amazing, start there right. Again, it is the consistency while we are doing that is going to help us long term. So if you're thinking about, okay, how can I incorporate movement, start there, I start five minutes.
Speaker 1:Or in the mornings, if you wake up and you're like everything hurts. Spend just five minutes stretching your body by stretch your your legs, stretch your arms, stretch your back. Five minutes and that is going to help you. Right, start your day with less pain, but also throughout the day. Right, because you're waking up with a nice mindset and let's say, okay, maybe you're rushing because you woke up late and you have to take the kids to school. You go to work, right, and you're like, okay, I have five minutes. Right, let me just do these five minutes of stretching or do some deep breathing right before I start my day. That's another way to add that specific goal to you.
Speaker 1:Balanced meals, right, focus on adding, not restricting. Right, I love this one because I talk to my clients about this all the time. So, instead of restricting or avoiding or saying I'm never going to have that or like that's a bad food, focus on what you're missing, right, like what does my plate is missing? What does this meal miss? So try incorporating, for example, a vegetable or a fruit into every meal if that's what you're missing, but looking at your plate, right, and I've done several episodes on what a balanced meal is, on how to create balanced meals. I talked about the 3-2-1 method that I developed.
Speaker 1:So, really looking at your plate, right, and thinking about these five food groups and looking, okay, what foods am I missing, right? Or am I missing color? Let me add some vegetables, let me add a piece of fruit, and it might not be every single meal, but maybe you're doing it at lunchtime because it's the easiest meal for you, or maybe you're doing it at dinnertime because you have more time and you eat as a family, and so you're adding that color, you're adding those vegetables. So, start very small, like that. Or if you're like, no, I don't do vegetables, then do a fruit. Right, you're still going to get those benefits, those antioxidants, those phytochemicals that your cells really need to repair and recover.
Speaker 1:Add some color to your meals, right, choose a vegetable, choose a fruit that you can add at least three to four times a week. The goal is every day with all your meals. Right, let's start small. Right, let's add it one meal, at least three to four times a week and build onto that. So, again, you don't have to be so drastic with your goals, but start small and build onto them. And as you're building onto those goals, right, if you get to the point where you're like this is so much, then it's okay to go back down right. Right, if you get to the point where you're like this is so much, then it's okay to go back down right when it feels comfortable, where you're like everything is so chaotic right now, this is where I'm able to maintain right.
Speaker 1:Oftentimes, what happens is that as we're making these changes and life gets hectic and life happens, we almost stop doing everything that we were doing because it's so overwhelming. Instead of like saying you know what? I think I can go back to this area right, where it felt comfortable, it felt doable, and I'm just going to stay there. Right, Because you're still going to have lots of benefits, you're still going to get have a good impact because you're consistent with those specific goals, right? So, for example, if you got to where you were walking 30 minutes, right, and now you're so busy and you're struggling because there's more work, or you're working overtime and you're like I can't walk anymore, right, I don't have 30 minutes. Hey, how about if we cut it to 15 minutes or 10 minutes? Right? Is that doable? And the answer is yes, perfect. Let's just do that right. Let's just stay consistent, let's just maintain it at that level and when things get better, then increase it. Right, so we don't have to go from one stream to the next stream. We have to find that medium and we have to really find what works for you versus the goal or the plan. You trying to work for the plan right. It has to be the other way around the plan has to work for you in order for you to continue to be successful. Okay, so, now that I gave you some examples of small goals, small habits and the consistency right.
Speaker 1:Let's talk about setting realistic goals. So, as we approach the new year right, it is tempting to set lofty resolutions like losing a specific or a huge amount of weight right, if that's your goal, or working out every day. But instead focus on realistic and actionable goals. For example, preparing meals at home three times a week right, if that is a goal that you have. So, for example, right now, you eat out for lunch every single day and on the weekends, and that is something that you want to tackle because you know that it's going to be more affordable. You're also going to save money, right, you're going to be able to control essentially, what you cook, what you eat, and so that is something that you really want to do, but you know that you cannot do every single day, right, all meals. So choose one meal, right, and say I'm going to do this meal three times a week, even if those three times a week the weekend includes two of the meals, then you just do one time during the week. Right, that is doable and focus on that. Yeah, you might have that bigger goal of making all meals at home every single day, but we have to get there slowly. Right, we have to take steps and that's okay. Right, we don't have to race. It's okay to take your time.
Speaker 1:Another example is limiting fast food to once a week. Right, it almost goes hand in hand with number one. So if you find yourself like eating out right, every single day or multiple times during the day and several times during the week, and that's something that you're like, hey, I want to decrease that and I'm going to choose a realistic goal. Maybe just once or twice a week you eat fast food. That you know. Once or twice a week. What am I going to do instead? Right, you have to go that step further. Because if you don't have that solution and you're at work and you're like I'm hungry and I said I wasn't going to eat out, but I don't have food, right, okay, then then, essentially, we're going to go eat out, so you have to have. You're working on that goal, but you also have to have the solution If I don't eat out, this is the meal that I'm going to have to help you with that challenge. Here's another example Stopping sugary drinks for herbal teas or water during lunch.
Speaker 1:If that's something that you're working towards and you really want to stop drinking sugary drinks again, here comes the substitution right. Like what can I do instead? So sometimes and I've seen these with several clients right is that they drink soda because they like the carbonation, and so then we talk about okay, how about if we add, like sparkling water, or like a carbonated drink that has less sugar right in water, or like a carbonated drink that has less sugar, right, or a carbonated drink and you add a splash of some kind of juice to get that flavor, because it's not so much because of the sugar, it's because of the carbonation that they really enjoy that. So we can still get the carbonation with these other drinks, but less amount of sugar right, and that can make a huge difference. And so the other thing, too, right, is that sometimes we have a food, right, that is a comfort food, and when we're upset or when we're stressed, or when we have these strong emotions, what comes to mind is having that sugary drink, because when we open it, when we drink it, we feel like this is good. Right, but it's not so much the actual drink, it's because of the action, right, it is that connection that we have made when we have these strong emotions in the soda, right, or the sugary drink, and so it's going to take more work, right, because we have to be able to make that connection of like. The reason why I'm choosing it is because there's a really strong connection in my brain, right, that says that every time I feel this way, having a thought is what makes me feel good. But we almost have to rewire our brain to be able to make that change, and that does require more work, right, but the awareness is what matters, right. So if that is something that you're struggling with having that awareness right Don't make anything, don't make any changes, but just have that awareness right. So, as you are struggling with these, or as you are going through these, right, thinking about ways on how to help your body and brain feel better before choosing the drink right or the food or whatever it is, can really help with that solution. So, remember, the more specific and achievable your goals are, the more likely you are going to stick to them, right? So, be realistic, really, really be realistic.
Speaker 1:And oftentimes what I ask my clients is that to rate their confidence level, right. So when we come together and we're setting these goals because this is what I do with my clients right, I ask let's figure out one or two goals that we want to work on for these next few weeks Oftentimes it's for these next two weeks and once when we come up, usually you, the client, comes up with the goals. Then I ask what's your confidence level, from a scale to zero to 10, right that you'll be able to achieve these goals. If the number is five, then I ask further questions right, how can I make this goal easier? Right, so your confidence level goes higher. So, for example, if someone says I want to walk for 30 minutes five times a week, right, and your confidence level is five, then we simplify that goal. How about if we say 15 minutes three times a week? Then we simplify that goal. How about if we say 15 minutes three times a week, right, what is your confidence level now? If the answer is eight, perfect, let's start there. Right, let's work on these goals and let's start there. So this is what I'm asking you to do, right, when you set these goals, as you are thinking about the new year, as you are preparing yourself to do these new changes, or now, even now which I actually recommend starting now, because then you can really define and redefine these goals Ask yourself that question how confident am I?
Speaker 1:And be honest with yourself, how confident am I at achieving this goal? If it's anything below an eight, simplify it. Even if it feels like, oh my gosh, I'm never going to achieve my goal or this is going to take forever, who cares? Right, you're starting, but that's what matters. So simplify the goal. Where you feel that I'm confident at a level eight and I'm going to do it. Right, I'm going to be consistent and as I get better, I'm going to add on to that goal. So remember that, my friend. And as I get better, I'm going to add on to that goal. So remember that, my friend. Okay, so let's focus here more on practical nutrition tips for a strong start.
Speaker 1:So here are a few quick actions that you can take now. You can continue to build on to, as you go into the new year, right and creating, you know, these new goals. I definitely recommend starting now, in December. Actually, you could have started maybe. I definitely recommend starting now, in December. Actually, you could have started maybe in November, but starting now is the best, um, because you can really think about these things right and as, as January comes around, then you can like really hit the ground running, um, and you're and you're focused and you know what to do. And it's okay to to check in with yourself and see if the plan and the goals are still applicable and adjust them. Adjust them based on what things are happening. Life is going to happen and sometimes we might have to pause on a goal and come back to it when things are better if that's the case. So here are a few quick actions that you can take now.
Speaker 1:Plan ahead, so spend about 15 minutes each week planning your meals, right. Use a meal planning app or a simple notebook, or jot down some ideas. I have lots of meal planning templates, so if you want one, just shoot me a text. It's free, right, if you just want something to keep you organized, shoot me a text, it's free, right? If you just want something to keep you organized, I will be glad to send it to you. And this is going to be so important, right? Because as we go into the week, right, and weeks are hectic If you're a busy professional, if you're a parent, anybody really and the week is just so hectic. Planning this ahead of time is going to save you so much time. So, really, spend those 15, like, literally, you don't have to spend more than 15 minutes. Spend 15 minutes on what it is that you are going to eat for the next, you know, for the rest of the week.
Speaker 1:Some people like meal planning. And you can add that let's say, I'm going to do this recipe for this first three days and then on Wednesday, I'll do this recipe for the rest of the week. Perfect, because then you can write down what are the ingredients that you need. Have them available, so when you need them, they're there, right? You don't have to think about oh my gosh, I have to go to the store. Who wants to go to the store after work? Nobody does Like I don't. If I go to the store during the week, it's because I really, really need something and I cannot wait for the weekend, otherwise, I literally just come home and my evenings are really busy, so I don't want to go anywhere during the week. Yeah, spend those 15 minutes, right. Write down what the menu is going to be.
Speaker 1:Or, if you have a family, sit down with the family. Make it a family affair, right, make it a family habit. Hey guys, let's plan our meals for the week. Let's sit down, let's figure this out so that way you know we're all on the same page and when it's dinner time we all know what to do and it gets done. Delegate, you don't have to do this alone. If you're a mom or a dad, right, or a guardian, and you have older kids, even younger kids, right, delegate this task.
Speaker 1:Here is such an important factor or fact about why this is important. Number one it's going to reduce your stress, right, because now you don't have to do it all alone. It sucks when you have to do all these things by yourself and you're like nobody's helping me. But number two you also teach children, right, or adults, either way how to be responsible and the responsibilities and the dirties that they have at home. Number three you're going to show children or kids how to cook for themselves, right? This is such an important one because I do see a lot of kids and as adults that they never knew how to make something for themselves. They didn't know how to cook, they didn't know how to make these meals, how to go grocery shopping. These are life skills, and if they don't learn these skills at home, they're not going to learn them anywhere else. I know some high schools or some middle schools that used to have what was it? Home economics or home econ? I think it was where they taught you about life skill things, and I don't see that anymore. So, again, if they don't learn these things at home, they're not going to learn them anywhere.
Speaker 1:Start a habit like that, right? Like, hey guys, let's spend 15 minutes today and let's come up with our menu, right? What are we going to have each day of the week? And these are the tasks that you guys have to do, right? Everybody has to contribute. Again, yeah, you might fight a little bit with them not wanting to do it, but trust me, it's going to build strong habits that they're going to use for the rest of their life. So I said that even younger kids can do work.
Speaker 1:I have two boys One is four and one is going to be eight at the end of this month and I try to have them help me in many ways, right, we've done so many recipes together and now the oldest is like mom, I me in many ways, right, we've done so many recipes together and now the oldest is like mom, I'll help you cook, right. So he starts cooking. He starts adding seasonings, mixing the food, and that's perfect. The youngest one is seeing that older brother is doing that and he wants to do it All. Right, let me help you with that. Or he gets to mix things or chop things right with a kid's safe knife, and that's wonderful, right? Yeah, it takes me longer if I were to do it by myself, but this is the time where they're going to learn these things right.
Speaker 1:This is an opportunity for them to be able to learn these skills that they're going to use right for the rest of their lives. The way that I learned about cooking is because my mom had me cooking right and my grandma taught me how to cook, but that was at home, right? I didn't learn these skills not until I got to college and I went into this field of nutrition right, where we had a culinology class. It was an amazing class because we got to cook different things and we got to eat the food. I love that. But see, that wasn't until I was in college and because I went into that field, otherwise I wouldn't have learned anything right or anything about cooking and making meals and all that. So, yeah, these skills are so valuable and, again, they're not going to get them anywhere. So, anyway, I'm so passionate about that too, and, yeah, but it's such a great way to get family involved right.
Speaker 1:The more that you do it, the better things get right. I guess the consistency, but the more efficient things get to right, because now each individual, each family member, has a task and the more they do it, the better they get get to right, because now each individual, each family member, has a task and the more they do it, the better they get at it right. And it also is going to help you to not have to think about every single day what am I going to cook right? What am I going to do today? Literally, you did that work in those 15 minutes or more that you allocated right One of the days, and now the work is done right Now you have to come home, get the things ready and eat right. You remove that huge stressor of trying to figure out what is it that you're going to make for dinner and you're hungry and everybody's hungry and angry that we end up buying food outside, right, or fast food because that's the easiest thing now. So prevent those things by spending a little bit of time planning ahead.
Speaker 1:Declutter your pantry so remove expired items or foods that don't align with your goals right and replace them with whole, nutrient-dense options. So if you have a goal right of like, I want to add more wholesome foods, I want to be able to have more of these foods that I choose that are going to nourish my body. You want to make space for them, right. So you want to be able to clean and clear out the clutter your pantry to be able to have that space right. Our environment plays a huge role in our ability to accomplish those goals, and I say this to my clients too, when they're at work right. So if your office even if you're where you sit right it's not conducive to your goals and you're struggling, you have to be able to figure out a way to make it work for you, to make it work for your goals, right, because otherwise you're going to be struggling a lot. So it's the same thing with a home, right? So if you know that these are things hey, you know I have these foods that I want to have them every once in a while, right, we don't have to have them every single day. This is how we can add them, right? I want to be able to have more of these wholesome foods and have that space to have them every single day. This is how we can add them, right? I want to be able to have more of these wholesome foods and have that space to have them available, because if I have them available, right, I'm going to add them. And so think about those things, right. Think about your goals, right, and how your environment aligns with those goals. If they don't, right, make those changes so that way they align and they can help you succeed better.
Speaker 1:Snack smart and prepare a go-to snack pack, right, with items like nuts, fruit and yogurt, or beef jerky or tofu jerky or any kind of snacks that you can make these balanced snacks. Again, if you're a new listener, welcome to my podcast. I've done so many episodes on how to create balanced snacks and balanced meals. Check them out, right, because those balanced snacks are almost a bridge. They're actually a bridge to your next meal. So you want to make sure that you're getting these balanced snacks to hold you over to your next meal.
Speaker 1:So an example, a quick example here of a balanced snack could be a yogurt with some fruit right, or a banana and nuts right, or hummus and carrots. That's a balanced snack. You have two food groups, right, and that helps you get so tidy. It helps you to feel full for a longer period of time, versus having just an apple right. It's amazing I'm glad that you're having an apple, but you're going to digest it quicker and so you're going to be hungrier again. So add peanut butter to the apple right, or chop it up and add it to your yogurt, and that will hold you over for a longer period of time. Okay, so I hope these tips are helpful.
Speaker 1:The other thing, too right Lastly, here, is creating a wellness routine. So nutrition is just one piece of the puzzle, right, when we think about wellness and wellbeing and health. Wellness includes stress management, sleep and self-care, and I talk about these things all the time with my clients because, yes, you might be coming to me for nutrition and maybe a meal plan or maybe figuring out recipes or ways to have healthier meals, but you are a whole person, right? Essentially, the things that are not addressed, like stress management or sleep deprivation, they're not going to help us with our nutrition goals. So this is why I talk about all these things during my sessions. So stress management, right, increases cortisol levels, affects our sleep, affects our mood, affects our decisions to choose healthier foods or to choose, you know, different types of foods. So we have to be able to have coping mechanisms to manage our stress. And no, we don't just like. If we don't grow up knowing how to make healthier nutrition decisions, we don't learn how to cope with our emotions, right, this is not something that we learn. If our parents didn't learn, we are not going to learn them right. And so, as we get older, we kind of have to figure out ways to cope with our stress, to cope with our strong emotions.
Speaker 1:Working with a therapist is amazing, not only when you are in crisis, but even before then, right? So I think, knowing yourself, like I, struggle a lot. So, for example, I struggle, not myself, I'm just giving a general example. I struggle with anger, right, or I struggle with managing my emotions, or I have so much stress that I don't know how to deal with it. Partner with a therapist right. Figure out a coping mechanism, coping tools that are going to help you get through that right, and something that you can practice on a daily basis, not only when you're again in crisis, because if we wait until that happens, all our alerts are going off and it's really hard to focus on. Like, what is it that we need to do to help us be calm? Right, these are things that you have to practice on a daily basis, so when a crisis happens, your body and your brain automatically know what to do. Right, because you have been practicing consistently. So if that is something that you're struggling with, please work with a therapist, right, if you had a bad experience. There's so many therapists out there. They try to feed. Try to find one that fits well with your needs and what you're looking for, because it can make a huge difference. On the meantime, right, there's now there's many apps, too, that you can try for meditation or journaling, right, literally some things.
Speaker 1:We just need to take five minutes to deep breathe and that's all we need. Right, because that tells our bodies and our brains we're okay, right, everything is okay, we just needed to deep breathe. I do this with my youngest, my 40-year-old, because he definitely has strong emotions, and so when he has these strong emotions, right, we acknowledge them. And then I said, okay, let's just take a deep emotions. And so when he has these strong emotions, right, we acknowledge them. And then I said, okay, let's just take a deep breath. And it also helps me because I'm like, okay, let's work together here, my son. So we take deep breaths. And then I ask him are you better? How are you doing now? I'm okay, mommy. So then, but as adults, we need to do that too, right, we need to be able to take a few minutes right To deep breathe and be like we're going to be okay and just practice that right. Even if you need to practice it multiple times during the week, during the day, that's okay too.
Speaker 1:Sleep hygiene, sleep deprivation, has so many effects on our health, not only, obviously, feeling like man, I sleep, I need more sleep, I'm tired, fatigued, but it affects our heart, it affects our blood sugar regulation, it affects our hormones, it affects our mental health. So sleep plays a huge role in our overall health. So, yes, sleep is very important, and so if we're not having good quality sleep right, because we might be having a good amount of sleep right, we might be sleeping eight, nine hours, 10 hours, but the quality is not the best. Right, meaning that we're waking up often, we're tossing and turning, feel like when we wake up, we didn't sleep enough. Right, when we wake up, we don't. We didn't sleep enough. Right.
Speaker 1:So we can do a few things here before or in concurrence with working with a sleep specialist, a doctor that works with sleep, or doing a sleep study, or whatever that is. So you can work on these things before then, or in concurrence again. So, creating a window, a wind down routine, right, that window of time when you're going to wind down, literally you're going to be like this is a time 30 minutes, right, an hour. I, you know, I prepare my body, I prepare my brain to really get into that sleep mode. Right, I'm turning down technology, I'm not using my phone anymore, I'm putting it away, hopefully not in the room. I'm dimming down the light, right, either I'm going to read or listen to something, or take a warm bath or shower or drink a nice tea, whatever.
Speaker 1:It is right that you feel that is going to help you do that, do that consistently. More specifically, that technology in the blue light. Right, because melatonin, which is the hormone that helps us sleep. It starts to increase as we decrease light, because when there is light, our brain says hey, there's sunlight, we don't need to increase melatonin, there's still light out there and so those melatonin levels don't increase. Don't need to increase melatonin, there's still light out there and so those melatonin levels don't increase where they need to be to help us fall asleep. So you have to allow your body and your brain to do that right, and you do that by limiting, eliminating blue light or any kind of light to help your body get to that point.
Speaker 1:But the other thing too if you're using your phone and trying to go to sleep and you see something that gets you really excited or angry, now your body's like, oh my gosh, we're in stress right, like we need to be ready for something, and that's unnecessary right Now you won't be able to go to sleep. So think about these things that you do leading to bedtime and start there right. Start to make your bedtime routine, creating more of this consistent routine that will help you with your sleep better. So if you do that and you're like you know I'm still struggling, or if your partner or someone says you know you snore a lot or you stop breathing, or for a long time, right, you're like I'm not getting good quality sleep and I'm struggling and fatigued all the time, talk to your doctor about it. Right, this is not normal, because there could be other things sleep apnea, right. Other issues, hormonal issues. So, talking to your healthcare provider about it and trying to get to the root cause, because it's going to help you with your overall health and well-being.
Speaker 1:Celebrate your wins. I start my sessions with my clients asking about their wins. Right, tell me about your wins. Tell me about the things that went well for you. Oftentimes, they start with the things that didn't go well, and that's okay, right. I usually find at least one thing that went well and that's a win. So, celebrate your wins.
Speaker 1:Acknowledge your small victories, whatever it is, even if it's the smallest one, right, like I walked five for five minutes this week, once a week. That's okay. Right, you did it. That's all that matters. You should be your biggest cheerleader, right, because you're the only one that knows what this is, what the struggle is. So you should be your strongest cheerleader, celebrate yourself, right?
Speaker 1:Don't focus on the things that you're not doing. It's not serving us well. Right, just focus on that little win, on a small victory, and keep moving forward. Right, don't look back. It okay, things happen and it's fast. And remember that building strong nutrition and wellness habits is a journey, not a sprint. So start with one small change today and you'll thank yourself in the future.
Speaker 1:Right, just pick one, one small one that you can do this week, next week, however many weeks you want to do it, and when you're ready, add more onto it. Right? Again, these goals have to work for you. They can be your friend's goals, they can be your mom's goals or your partner's goals. They have to be your goals, right, you have to feel passionate about it and you have to ask yourself I'm confident, right, how confident am I? I'm confident, right, how confident am I? And put in the work right, be consistent. So, if you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it with a friend and leave a review. It helps me significantly and, as always, you can find more tips and resources either on my website or you can follow me on Instagram at nutrition underscore with underscore Lonela. Let's finish 2024 strong, but let's start 2025 stronger. Thank you for tuning in into Simple Nutrition Insights. Until next time, take care of yourself and stay fueled by good nutrition. All right, my friend, talk to you soon. I'll see you soon. Stay safe. Bye-bye for now.