Making changes in life can be challenging. Let’s use starting to work out as an example. At first, you are extremely motivated and the idea of working out 4-5 days a week sounds doable. The problem is people become sore, tired or life gets in the way of the new schedule you are trying to create. Now all of a sudden the 4-5 days of working out is hard and can be stressful.
The best way to start to make a change in your life is to start small. Small changes can be sustained over a course of time and then ramped up gradually. Additionally, making changes that integrate seamlessly into our current lifestyle are more sustainable.
I approach nutrition the same way; starting with small, realistic goals. I never tell anyone to start removing multiple food items from their plate because that would be overwhelming and unsustainable. I advise the addition of new foods in order to replace less favorable options. For example, I like to tell people to add more color to their plate! I start by challenging people to add 2 colors to start with. The increase in vitamins and minerals from colorful food tends to make people feel better and the addition of more vegetables and fruits is a great step towards healthy whole food eating. By adding more vegetables and fruits on the plate there is also less room for calorie dense foods like white rice, pastas, and breads. Allowing processed foods to occupy less room is advantageous to one’s health and wellness goals.
Try adding more color to your plate this month by eating the rainbow!