– by Rhian Hunter
Holidays, COVID-19, change of seasons, a difficult week, or a reward for doing all the good things; for many of us trying to eat healthily, there reaches a point where our self-discipline checks out, and we find excuses to fall off that healthy band wagon.
Self-discipline. Let’s be real. For most of us, it’s a work in progress. Harnessing resilience is about completing actions that are aligned with your objectives despite the setbacks that stand in your way.
As long as we continue to take positive action, there is no point in beating ourselves up about it. Having a healthy relationship with your health isn’t just physical, it’s mental too.
So being gentle and realistic with yourself is a great place to start!
The hardest part about getting back on the wagon, is reestablishing some kind of routine or structure around your eating, and the foods you are eating. If you are planning on going all-in with this, my first piece of advice would be to curb your enthusiasm.
The smallest steps you take, are probably going to have the biggest impact so make your goal/s – small and realistic. Two-three meals a day. Eat mostly fresh fruit and veg. Limit processed foods. Avoid overwhelm!
There are so many diets out there that claim to help you lose weight, reduce inflammation, or to help you become the healthiest version of yourself.
Each year some new fad diet fills our newsfeeds claiming it works wonders. As a nutritionist, I will often research diets thoroughly and sometimes trial them if the research holds some merit.
Hand on heart, I can tell you if you were to cut out gluten, dairy, processed foods, reduced your caloric intake, and predominantly ate fresh fruit and vegetables; you will enjoy positive health outcomes. If you try to follow a diet with too many restrictions, you are not going to sustain it.
Choose recipes that are easy to follow, and where ingredients can be interchanged so that time and money won’t throw you a curve ball.
Be prepared. Set aside 30minutes at the beginning of your week to plan your meals/grocery shop/prep. Having a plan, and a stocked-up fridge or pantry will make you less inclined to reach for unhealthy foods, or fall back into unhealthy habits.
Remember, not every day will go according to plan, but each day, whether you fall off, or get back on top, is progress, and that’s what self-discipline is all about.
SERVES 2
Ingredients:
3 Tbls coconut yoghurt
6 Walnut halves
10 Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1 Handful kale (stalks removed)
1 Handful ice
1/2 Scoop vanilla protein powder
1 Tbls cacao
1 Medjool date (pitted)
1 Tsp. Turmeric (ground)
1/4 Birdseye chilli
250ml unsweetened almond milk
Method:
Throw all ingredients into a blender, and blitz until smooth. Feel free to add filtered water for a thinner consistency.
