Have you ever noticed that when your life is really busy, some things start to slide?
Little things may start to slip into your diet like an afternoon coffee, soda, or black tea as a pick-me-up. You grab some quick take-out for dinner because you either didn’t plan what you’re having, don’t have the energy to make a meal at home, or you ran out of fresh vegetables or healthy snacks and don’t have a chance to run to the grocery store anytime soon. Maybe you notice that your regular workout sessions start to get a little less regular.
When other things in life take over and the things you do for YOU start to slip, a strange disconnect occurs. The gap grows between what you “want” to be doing that gives you energy and makes you feel good, and what you are actually doing. Can you relate?
As a Fort Collins Nutritionist and full time graduate student studying human nutrition and working on requirements to get my Registered Dietitian license, I can definitely relate.
Here is the trap– your eating starts to slip or isn’t as healthy as you want it to be and you’re not getting energy from your food that allows you to do the things that you want/need to do. This low energy and perceived lack of time results in physical activity to slip which is something that actually helps to reduce your stress, improves your mood, and helps you feel really good. If you’ve fallen into this trap, the disconnect between what you want and your current actions and attitudes is keeping you stuck. This is what I call the healthy eating paradox.
There is ABSOLUTELY something you can do to reverse the trend (or downward spiral) and start doing what you need to do to have the energy, body, weight loss, or anything else that you want.
It starts with food. Break the cycle by eating a really healthy nutrient-dense and energy-rich meal. This will give you noticeably more energy which will allow enough energy to prepare your next meal, shop for fresh produce, or hit the gym. The feeling you’ll have when your intentions and actions come into alignment is awesome and it will make you want to keep the high energy cycle going.
The key is to manage your energy to do what you need to do in the time you have.
If you want to know how to cook healthy meals with fresh real food ingredients at home or how to find them when you’re eating on the go, grab a copy of my new book:
