This vegan potato salad is light, bright, and delicious! Not only is this vegan potato salad delicious, but it is easy to make. All you need is vegan mayo, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, dill, and chives for the best vegan potato salad sauce around town! Vegan Potato Salad If ...
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Get excited for the best BBQ side dish you will ever make! This baked potato salad is the perfect side dish next to bbq chicken, cheeseburgers, or would make a great meal prep lunch. It is a loaded baked potato salad packed with bacon, cheddar cheese, pickles, hard-boiled eggs, and ...
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When I first switched to more natural and green cleaning products, microfiber cloths seemed like a panacea. They cleaned almost all surfaces with little or no additional products, were reusable, and seemed really sustainable. I found myself using them more and more and many sources recommended them as a natural cleaning alternative. From a no-waste...
Continue reading Microfiber Cloths: Green Cleaning or Plastic Pollution?...
Make breakfast a breeze with this Strawberry Rhubarb Baked Oatmeal. This strawberry rhubarb recipe is the perfect healthy breakfast that’s packed with fiber, protein, and will satisfy your sweet tooth while keeping you full until lunchtime! It’s Linley again- hi there! Bringing you one of our favorite new baked oatmeal ...
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This Healthy Banana Protein Shake is packed with a short list of real ingredients and blended together to perfection! Boasting 16 g of protein per serving and oh so flavorful, this protein shake recipe will fuel your body post-workout or or as a sweet treat. Enjoy! That’s right. A healthy ...
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Hashimoto’s is the most common cause of thyroid disorders in the nation—and it can cause disruptive symptoms well before a conventional doctor would make a diagnosis or offer treatment. And that’s where the functional approach differs. In this episode of Revolution Health Radio, I talk with renowned thyroid specialist Izabella Wentz about how Functional Medicine can uncover the root cause of a thyroid disorder early on and help people feel better faster.
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With a family and a business, life can get very busy, very fast. Both take a lot of time and intentionality to nurture and I’m not one to let either of these important parts of my life suffer for the other. One thing I do so that I can have time for my family (first)...
Continue reading How I Use One Natural Plant-Based Cleaner to Clean the Whole House...
Many chronic diseases can be prevented, significantly improved, or even completely reversed simply by making diet and lifestyle changes. Find out how habits form—and how to make good ones stick.
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Who is a fan of hard boiled eggs? We are! There are so many ways to prepare hard boiled eggs, but making hard boiled eggs in oven is the easiest way to meal prep hard boiled eggs for breakfast, a healthy egg salad, or for an easy snack throughout the ...
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Smoothies are the perfect food when you’re craving something sweet but want to eat something real. I always add lots of healthy fats and protein to my smoothies for a healthy snack or meal. This creamy berry smoothie is perfect for kids who want something sweet and satisfying. In fact, my kids invented this one!...
Continue reading Creamy Berry Smoothie (Dairy Free)...
Thinking about trying nootropics? These natural and man-made substances may enhance learning and memory, increase attention, and boost your mood. But do they really work? Read on to find out.
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I’m here today with a dear friend, Christa Orecchio, who is a clinical and holistic nutritionist and founder of The Whole Journey. She has helped thousands and thousands of people discover the root cause of their conditions by using food as medicine and a mind-body-spirit approach to health. Christa is truly one of the happiest,...
Continue reading 243: Using an Adrenal ReCode to Calm the Nervous System With Christa Orecchio...
People in laundry commercials can be quite entertaining. Images of flowers, sunshine, and a background of snowy mountains promise laundry as fresh as a day in the Alps! But those man-made chemicals don’t hold a candle to real, natural freshness (that is actually good for you too). This natural linen spray recipe uses essential oils to leave fabrics smelling...
Continue reading How to Make a Natural Linen Spray (DIY Recipe)...
We’re excited about the lineup for TED2019: “Bigger than us”. So excited that we compiled a list of websites, links and pages from this year’s speakers that you didn’t know you needed. But you do.
1. AI Weirdness
Adventures in the often hilarious antics of AI algorithms as they try to imitate human datasets, like firework names or Dungeons and Dragons character bios. Here’s a gem from a neural network doing its best Julia Child impression:
Or perhaps you’re more in the mood for horseradish brownies?
Found thanks to speaker: Janelle Shane
2. One Love
Want to learn how to love better? Peruse this collection of tips, advice and practical resources about building healthy relationships — and spotting unhealthy ones. You can even order a box of chocolates that will give you a “taste” of different relationship behaviors, like manipulation or respect. Because you deserve a healthy relationship and chocolate, too.
Found thanks to speaker: Katie Hood
3. “Cephalopod dynamic camouflage”
Chameleons are the masters of disguise, right? Wrong. This quick overview of the camouflage skills of cephalopods (octopuses, cuttlefish and squids) will make your jaw drop. See how they rapidly camouflage against almost any background: colorful coral reefs, kelp forests, sand, seagrass beds …
Found thanks to speaker: Roger Hanlon
An interactive art installation meets a social psych experiment. This “artificially-intelligent room” is designed to look like a sitcom set, but with a twist: the room analyzes participants’ patterns of laughter and plays a laugh track based on that data. Jump in at around minute 30 of the livestream and enjoy the awkwardness.
Found thanks to speaker: Jonny Sun
A poetry-spewing lion sculpture in London’s Trafalgar Square. Need we say more?
Found thanks to speaker: Es Devlin
Our sleep patterns change as we grow older. Why is that? This study offers a wealth of answers (and will make you feel better about taking more naps).
Found thanks to speaker: Matthew Walker
You’re probably familiar with Hannah Gadsby’s critically acclaimed Netflix special, Nanette, but have you seen the four seasons of her Hulu series, Please Like Me? If you need a show to fill that 25-minute comedy slot in your TV life, start watching now.
Found thanks to speaker: Hannah Gadsby
Reflections on family, love and activism from Suleika Jaouad, a young writer diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 22. An invaluable resource for those battling cancer.
Found thanks to speaker: Suleika Jaouad
9. Robogamis
The days of big, clunky robots are over. These folding robots are inspired by origami, can morph into 2D or 3D shapes and we need one to play with.
Found thanks to speaker: Jamie Paik
10. “Smartphone use undermines enjoyment of face-to-face social interactions” (PDF)
The first concrete evidence that phone use may spoil our enjoyment of real-world social interactions. You probably already knew that, but now you have the facts to back it up. So, really: put your phone away at dinner! (You can also listen to the study being read if you want to stop looking at your phone right now.)
Thanks to speaker: Elizabeth Dunn
11. Global Change
The climate is changing. This much we know. But how can we prepare for the human health risks connected to climate change, like heat waves and rising sea levels? Explore this vast trove of resources to find out — and get involved in what could be the public health challenge of the century.
Found thanks to speaker: Kristie Ebi
12. “A digital gangster destroying democracy: the damning verdict on Facebook”
A withering summary of the British Parliament’s 2019 report on fake news and disinformation, from the journalist who uncovered the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica story. Read the parliament’s full report here.
Found thanks to speaker: Carole Cadwalladr
13. “David Deutsch on the infinite reach of knowledge”
Do you like having your mind slightly blown? Good, we do too. This episode of The TED Interview explores how humanity’s ability to attain knowledge first developed — and how it could take us across galaxies.
Found thanks to speaker: David Deutsch
14. “Fireworks”
A remix of the song “Fireworks” by Swedish duo First Aid Kit … as though the song were playing on the radio while actual fireworks exploded in the distance. Surprisingly calming.
Found thanks to performer: First Aid Kit
And a bonus for making it this far: travel back in time to TED7 … how far we’ve come since then!
I remember how easy it was to “work out” in college. For one thing, I was walking miles each week just to get to class, and whenever I got stressed and needed a mental break from homework, I could just go to the gym on campus (for free) and get a workout in. I didn’t...
Continue reading 8 Fun Ways to Exercise As a Family...
From green smoothie recipes to a basic strawberry smoothie, we’ve got all the smoothie inspiration you need right here! Check out 100+ healthy smoothie recipes and learn how to make your own unique smoothie at home with our basic smoothie equation. Best Blender for Smoothies First things first, let’s talk ...
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The TED community is busy as ever! Below, a few highlights.
Brené Brown special planned for Netflix. As she announced on Instagram, vulnerability expert Dr. Brené Brown has partnered with Netflix for a one-hour special: The Call to Courage. In the show, Dr. Brown will explains how to embrace vulnerability as a source of power and choose “courage over comfort in a culture defined by scarcity, fear and uncertainty.” According to Oprah Magazine, Dr. Brown will also share lessons and feedback from her hugely popular 2010 TEDx Talk, The Power of Vulnerability. The special was filmed in front of a live audience at UCLA, and will premiere on Netflix on April 19. (Watch Dr. Brown’s 2012 TED Talk on shame.)
A new headscarf collection from Halima Aden. In collaboration with Turkish clothing brand Modansia, model and activist Halima Aden will launch a new collection of hijabs at the 2019 Istanbul Modest Fashion Week in April. This collection marks Aden’s first foray into fashion design following her groundbreaking modeling career and humanitarian work. “I’m focused on the next generation. I want to one day see a hijabi at the Met Gala. I want to see a hijabi being a lead actress,” she said in a profile with Paper. “Think of all the many firsts that are still out there. What can I do to encourage girls to dream big, to bring it home?” (Watch Aden’s TED Talk.)
Helping to train better child welfare workers. Social scientist Jessica Pryce will join the newly established National Child Welfare Workforce Institute’s advisory board, in addition to her role as the director of the Florida Institute for Child Welfare. As a member of the national board, Pryce will help design curriculum to better train child welfare professionals. As Pryce said in a statement: “Serving on the advisory board will be a wonderful opportunity to engage with other leaders from around the country while being at the forefront of workforce innovation.” (Watch Pryce’s TED Talk.)
UK Royal Mint debuts Stephen Hawking–inspired coin. The physicist Stephen Hawking has been honored on a new commemorative 50-pence coin in the United Kingdom. Designed by Edwina Ellis, the coin was inspired by Hawking’s significant discoveries researching black holes; the face features Hawking’s name, a minimalist rendering of a black hole and the Bekenstein–Hawking equation, Hawking’s famed theorem that describes the entropy of a black hole. The coin will not be circulated in public currency; it is available for purchase on the UK Royal Mint website. Hawking passed away at 76 years old in 2018. (Watch Hawking’s TED Talk.)
Esther Perel named Vivid Ideas Festival Game Changer. Psychotherapist and relationship guru Esther Perel will give a keynote speech on modern love and the digital age at the Vivid Ideas Festival in Sydney, Australia, in June 2019. Festivalgoers can expect to gain some insight into “modern love, lust, our desire for connection and delicate matters of the heart” from Perel’s unique experience and perspective. The annual festival, which spans nearly three weeks, celebrates the intersection of art, technology and commerce; built around an extravagant light show, the festival boasts concerts, workshops and lectures. (Watch Perel’s TED Talk.)
Have a news item to share? Write us at contact@ted.com and you may see it included in this round-up.
Intermittent fasting (IF) can lead to weight loss, an improved metabolism, and a lower risk of chronic disease. Find out why IF works—and when it’s a good choice for your health.
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Some days are super busy, so healthy ideas for lunches and dinners to-go are always appreciated. These tuna avocado bowls are fast and easy to make, portable, healthy, and delicious! We have them for lunch during Lent or any time we need a break from the usual. What’s for Lunch? Tuna-Stuffed Avocado Bowls! In my opinion, these...
Continue reading Tuna-Stuffed Avocado Bowls...
Dr. Izabella Wentz is a pioneering expert in lifestyle interventions for treating Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which I have. She was also diagnosed at age 27, and in search of answers, conducted an incredible amount of research to create her own autoimmune protocol. In addition to her New York Times bestseller Hashimoto’s Protocol, she just wrote a...
Continue reading 242: Fighting Thyroid Disease With Food & Recipes for Thyroid Health From Dr. Izabella Wentz...
This Buffalo Chicken Mason Jar Salad recipe is great on the go or meal prepped for the week’s lunches. With the dressing on the bottom, your mason jar salad ingredients stay oh so fresh until you’re ready to eat. Lunch is served! Buffalo Chicken Mason Jar Salad We love mason ...
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Let me introduce you to the creamiest and most delicious banana smoothie. This healthy banana smoothie is simple and packed with protein, fiber, and potassium! Blend it up this week for a healthy banana smoothie breakfast! Banana Smoothie- Go BANANAS Smoothies are a one-stop shop for something tasty that is ...
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I can handle childbirth, bodily fluids, and poop… but ticks? Ugh! Fun fact (if there can be anything fun about ticks): they don’t bite but they technically sting. Either way, a tick bite can be very harmful. Here are some of the steps you can take to prevent contact with ticks, and what to do if one...
Continue reading How to Prevent Tick Bites (+ Safe Tick Removal)...
I don’t normally post back-to-back Family Fridays, but…here we are. It was an eventful week in mostly all the wrong ways.
It started off well – family time on St. Patrick’s Day. The girls met their new cousin, 2-month-old baby Ava. How cute are these girls?!
Mark was in Italy for work all week. He left Sunday and returned late this afternoon (Friday), so we were a house full of ladies just doing our best. I had an easy week meeting-wise and menu-wise and Monday we were grooving. We had made it to daycare and work on time, had a nice dinner together, and then when I decided to occupy the girls with the iPad while I hopped on the Peloton, all you-know-what broke loose.
Tuesday was off to a poor start but with my staff meeting, I powered through. By late morning I was DRAGGING. I had the afternoon blocked for networking and visiting my old team. I never took my coat off all afternoon and I drove home at 3:30pm in a complete haze. I fell into bed and could barely pry myself awake to feed the girls dinner. Our nanny was able to stay and so I went right back to bed. She basically stepped in as mom for the next 48 hours.
I went to work on Wednesday but scheduled an 11:30am doctors visit to rule out flu. TWO throat swabs later (don’t get me started), I had a positive flu test and was off to pick-up TamiFlu from the pharmacy. I was completely worthless the rest of the day.
By Thursday, I was feeling quite a bit better after an Imitrex helped my headache. I worked from home for the day and today, Friday, I ventured into the office. It was a productive day and my flu symptoms are fully replaced by cough and congestion. I just pray that dodging my kids much of this week with the help of our nanny has kept them healthy. Spring break is right around the corner!
In other news, we MAY be on our way to a potty-trained 4-year-old — overnight, that is. Shea has been potty trained for a long time, but nights have always been accompanied by Pull-Ups. She had 2 accident-free nights before a slip-up last night. We’ll see how the next few nights shake out. She has been able to tell us that with a Pull-Up on, she won’t get up to use the bathroom, so we’ve gone cold turkey. Hopefully it’s a quick process because washing the bedding for a queen size bed EVERY day can get old real quick.
We have absolutely no plans this weekend and that’s a beautiful thing! On Sunday morning, Gina and I will record episode 10 of the podcast before we venture to church. Hockey playoffs for my league start Sunday – should be fun!
Happy Spring, everyone! Stay healthy!!
Be well,
Glyphosate is routinely used on crops like corn, wheat, and soy as a weed killer, but is this chemical harmless to humans? Read on to learn how glyphosate can impact your health.
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My family loves sweet potatoes. We grow and eat a lot of them (read about my first sweet potato growing experience) and I’m always excited to try new ways to use them. Bacon and lime are always a great combination and are delicious with the sweetness of the roasted sweet potatoes. Bacon Lime Sweet Potato Salad...
Continue reading Bacon Lime Sweet Potato Salad Recipe...
Since we largely avoid candy and other processed foods, I have to get creative and come up with other Easter basket ideas each year. As kids, my brother and I always looked forward to Easter and getting baskets with a chocolate bunny and going on Easter egg hunts. Because of these special memories I work...
Continue reading Healthy Easter Basket Ideas the Whole Family Will Enjoy...
How do you like your eggs? We love ALL egg recipes on Fit Foodie Finds and today we are sharing 15 of our favorite egg recipes for breakfast. Healthy egg breakfast recipes, egg bake recipe, egg cup recipe, and more! How Do You Like Your Eggs? Eggs are probably one ...
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My TEDxSalem talk is live! In it I describe what I believe are the three most essential psychological strategies you need to build better habits and stop dieting for good.
And since I know you’re curious, I was 8 months pregnant and this was shot just days before the eternal misery of the third trimester really set in.
Nova Joy Rose was born February 19, and we’re both doing great.
Our modern lives are full of stress, distraction, and disconnection. That has an impact on our nervous systems—and our gut health. In this episode of Revolution Health Radio, I talk with Allison Post about how your gut wellness is tied to your nervous system and why unwinding and giving your body a chance to rest can improve your health.
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Have you ever felt your brain function faltering after a particularly stressful week or wished you could supercharge your cognition? Here’s how you can optimize your brain for better performance.
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My guest today is the exceptional Ben Greenfield, and since he won’t share his mile-long list of accomplishments himself, I’m going to brag on him for a bit. He is a life-long complete nerd (which I can say because I’m one too). He started college at 16 and studied anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, pharmaceuticals, microbiology, biochemistry,...
Continue reading 241: Biohacking for Moms, Anti-Aging & Raising Amazing Kids With Ben Greenfield...
If you know anything about organic gardening, you may have heard the saying “feed the soil, not the plant.” Creating healthy soil for plants to grow in is the best way to have a healthy garden that produces without synthetic fertilizers. Knowing that is one thing… knowing what to do is another! It’s tempting to skip...
Continue reading How to Create the Best Garden Soil...
Have you come across CBD oil and wondered about its potential health benefits, safety, and effectiveness? Read on to learn why you should try CBD oil.
The post All about CBD Oil: How It Works and Its Potential Benefits appeared first on Chris Kresser.
We all can get tired of preparing the same old foods night after night, and sometimes nothing is better than getting a little fancy and mixing it up! These crab-stuffed mushrooms are delicious and fun to eat, and contain enough fiber and protein that they could round out a complete meal when served with salad, veggies,...
Continue reading Perfect Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms...
Lots of people looking to improve their eating think meal plans are the answer. The only problem? Meal plans usually suck… and they rarely last. So, instead of prescribing yet another doomed eating regimen, check out these 6 ways to transform any diet in a sustainable way.
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This is the most common question we get from folks who are considering, or just started out in, our nutrition coaching programs.
The answer: No, we don’t do meal plans.
But we can’t blame people for asking.
Sure, meal plans have long been a staple of the fitness and nutrition industry. Coaches are taught to create them. Clients are taught to expect them.
Unfortunately…
You see, traditional meal plans are explicit prescriptions.
Eat this exact thing, in this exact amount, at this exact time.
For example, you’ll often see:
Breakfast – 7:30am
3 eggs, scrambled
1 cup vegetables
1 piece whole grain toast
1 cup coffee
1 glass water
Morning snack – 10:00am
1 protein bar
1 handful mixed nuts
Lunch – 12:30pm
4 oz chicken
2 cups salad
1 handful seeds
1 glass water
After exercise – 4:30pm
1 scoop whey protein
1/2 cup frozen fruit
1 tsp omega 3 oil
12 oz water
Dinner – 7:00pm
4 oz steak
1 cup cooked veggies
1 baked potato
1 glass water
You (or your clients/patients) might be thinking, “Good! I want a plan. I’m sick of trying to figure all this stuff out! Just tell me what to eat!”
Unfortunately, when we try to follow rigid prescriptions like this, lots can (and often does) go wrong.
For example:
No matter how enthusiastic you are, meal plans can be tough to follow.
This is normal. Life can get in the way.
What’s more, even if you’ve actually paid to have someone make your plan, you might find yourself rebelling against it in subtle (or not-so-subtle) ways.
This is also normal.
Unfortunately, it means you might not get the results you hope for. For instance, a meal plan you hoped would help you lose weight could actually encourage you to gain weight instead.
In fact, you follow it too well and for too long.
Most meal plans are meant to be temporary.
They’re designed to help a person get to a specific short-term goal, like dropping a few extra pounds before a wedding, learning to manage blood sugar, or cutting weight for an athletic competition.
Our bodies can usually adapt to a rigid way of eating for a short period of time.
But if you’re too strict for too long, you could wind up with disordered eating habits and lasting health (mental, metabolic, hormonal, etc) consequences.
It isn’t sustainable. It doesn’t make you feel better. It doesn’t keep you sane.
Maybe you see some short-term results (or not). But you hate living and eating this way. You never want to see another stupid piece of lettuce or 4 ounces of chicken.
Eventually, you get so turned off by the process that you regress or quit altogether. You conclude that “eating healthy” sucks.
And you miss your big chance to learn how to make healthier, more enjoyable, more lasting and real changes.
One of the biggest (yet generally unacknowledged) problems with traditional meal plans is their focus on “nutrients”.
We eat meals, often with other people.
We eat meals that match our cultural background and social interests.
And we rarely measure things precisely.
For instance, professional athletes or bodybuilders (in other words, people who make money off their bodies and athletic skills) use meal plans to prepare for training and competition.
A prescribed meal for someone in that situation might look something like this:
We don’t normally eat “ounces” of things, or refer to food by their nutrients (like “omega-3 fatty acids”).
Instead, we eat foods like:
Bottom line: If you want to eat better, you don’t have to get weird about things.
You don’t need to weigh and measure everything, or count out your almonds.
Ask yourself: “Is someone paying me to do this?” If the answer is no, you likely don’t need this kind of approach.
You just need to think about what you’re already eating, and how you could make it a little bit better.
This means fiddling and adjusting.
Making small changes and improvements to what you already normally eat and enjoy, one small step at a time.
Think about a spectrum of food quality rather than “bad” or “good” foods.
When you play with the idea of a food spectrum or food continuum, you get to experiment with variables like:
How can you play “make this meal just a little bit better” in every situation?
In which situations is that easier or harder?
When your choices are limited (for instance, when you’re traveling, or eating at a workplace cafeteria), how can you shoot for “a little bit better” while still being realistic, and without trying to be “perfect”?
(Hint for coaches: this is a great game to play with the people you work with.)
Here’s how that “food spectrum” might look in daily life, with a sample day of eating.
Stage 1
Let’s say that your go-to breakfast is a whipped-cream coffee drink and a chocolate croissant.
You pick it up in the drive-thru, and wolf it down on your way to work.
This is your starting point. It’s not “bad”. It’s just no longer working for you.
You’re getting indigestion from rushing, the croissant doesn’t hold you at all, and you’ve just spilled the coffee on your crotch while changing lanes.
Now your game is to improve your breakfast just a little bit, starting with what you already have or do.
Stage 2
Your opening moves in the meal transformation game:
Naturally, you’re still rushed and busy… so you eat your breakfast with some distractions, while scrolling through emails at work.
But this is a solid start. Well done.
Stage 3
Next level of game play:
Of course, you’re still checking out the news headlines while you eat…
No problem. We’re keeping it real.
Stage 4
Now you are seriously playing like a pro.
Ahhh.
Stage 1
At this point, starting out, the idea of a sit-down lunch feels flat out ridiculous.
“Eat slowly? Who has time for that during a busy workday? Grab a burger and go!”
Another “car dashboard” meal. Another stomach ache and regret.
You decide you might want to play with this meal too.
Stage 2
To improve this meal a little bit:
That’s OK. You’re progressing.
Stage 3
At this stage, you’re doing a little prep work:
For lunch, all you have to do is take your homemade burger and its fixins to work.
You still grab a diet cola from the vending machine to wash it down.
You move from your desk to the lunchroom, where you socialize with co-workers. This slows you down a bit and helps you digest and relax.
Stage 4
You’re having the burger without the bun, alongside a nice pre-prepped salad.
Instead of staying at your desk or in the office, you take a break.
You sit outside and get some fresh air while you enjoy your meal.
For a drink, water’s all you need.
Stage 1
It’s 8pm. You’ve just gotten home after an insane day at work.
All you want to do is put food into your face and zone out in front of the TV.
You can’t even imagine making anything more complicated than boxed macaroni ‘n’ cheese right now.
Ketchup and hot dogs are as fancy as it gets.
Stage 2
Same concept, but:
Work is still on your mind, and a couple drinks will take the edge off.
Stage 3
Things are getting fancy.
Plus, you’re sitting at the dinner table, instead of flopping down on your couch or standing over the sink.
Stage 4
Again, we’re playing at pro level here.
With your meal planning and prep strategies, even a weeknight dinner looks good.
If you’re at stage 1, all you have to do is shoot for stage 2. Or stage 1.5.
If you’re in stage 2, play with getting to stage 3.
And if you’re stage 3, heck, you can stay where you are.
You might never get to stage 4. Or it might only happen at times when you’re relaxed and have a little extra time.
Stage 4 might only happen on Sunday night, whereas the rest of your week is a mix of stages 1, 2, and — if you’re super lucky — 3.
And that’s OK.
How far you progress along the continuum all depends on what YOU want, what YOU need, and what YOU can reasonably do, right now.
Over time, things can change.
Play YOUR game.
You might look at these photos and think, “How can people possibly do all that?”
One success secret: Having a food prep ritual.
The idea is simple:
Practice planning and preparing healthy food in advance.
This makes healthy eating convenient and easy.
It also makes decisions easier: You don’t have to make a choice when you’re rushed and hangry.
Mix and match any of these to find what works for you.
Experiment with systems, skills and strategies that work for YOU and YOUR life.
Fit, healthy people who have a good relationship with food don’t need other people to tell them exactly what to eat at all times.
Living a fit and healthy life doesn’t require perfection, either.
That’s OK.
Some people like prescription, especially if they are working towards a specific short-term goal, like cutting weight to compete in wrestling, making sure they get enough nutrients to support a healthy pregnancy, or fueling their triathlon performance.
Keep it short-lived.
Meal plans are supposed to be temporary, working towards a short-term goal.
Keep it real.
As much as possible, try to make the meal plan fit your real life, not the other way around.
If you’re a parent, a worker, a student, or anyone else living in the real world, most of your meals will fall somewhere in the stages 1 through 3 spectrum. That’s perfectly OK. Just experiment with being a little bit better, wherever you can.
Remember all goals require trade-offs.
If you want to achieve a high level of performance or exceptional body composition, understand what you are prioritizing and sacrificing.
Getting very lean, for instance, comes with costs.
Make sure it’s working for you.
If your meal plan is making you feel:
or any other negative, unproductive emotion…
…and if you find that meal plans result in you:
…then consider trying another approach.
Where’s your food game at?
What level are you playing at?
What level would you like to play at?
Given your goals and your current situation, what is realistic?
For example, if you currently eat at stage 1, your goal might be to eat at stage 2 for most meals.
Or, if you eat at stage 3 most of the time but find yourself dipping into stage 1 or 2 meals more often than you’d like, aim to stay at stage 3 a little more consistently.
(Hint for coaches: you can walk people through these questions and help them arrive at their own answers.)
Pick one meal to transform and focus on that.
For instance, you might leave all your other meals at stage 1, and focus on getting lunch to stage 2.
Concentrate on improving that one meal each day.
Using the examples above, you might think about things like:
Of course, don’t try to do all these at once.
Try just fiddling with one or two, and see which ones work best for you.
Once you’ve improved one meal a day, try another.
If you feel like lunch is a solid stage 2 or 3, play with moving breakfast, dinner, or snacks along the spectrum.
Or, once you’ve improved one factor in a meal (e.g. adding more protein), try another.
For instance, if you’re getting more protein, now try switching out your sugary soda for some soda water. Or adding a little more veggies.
Be patient; small steps add up.
Notice what makes it easier and simpler for you to eat better.
Then figure out how to do or get more of that.
For instance:
There’s no “right” way to do this. Do what works for YOU.
Meal plans don’t usually address how you eat.
Before you change what you eat, you can also try changing how you eat. For example, you could:
Give yourself some time and space to appreciate those tasty concoctions you put together.
Meal time is YOUR time.
Sometimes you might just want someone to tell you what to do.
That’s fine, and helpful, especially if you’re juggling a lot. But only for a while.
Over time, look for ways to help yourself intuitively and wisely make better choices, rather than just following the rules.
(Coaches, much more than serving up prescriptions, this is your job too: to help the folks you work with arrive at a place where they feel good about making decisions for themselves.)
Think long-term. What do you want to happen over the next few months? Year? 10 years? Do you want to be on a meal plan for the next few decades?
Today, if you were to take one small step towards the “better” end of the meal spectrum, what might that look like?
How can you start playing the “meal transformation game” today?
Learning how to coach clients, patients, friends, or family members through healthy eating and lifestyle changes — including helping them with meal transformation — is both an art and a science.
If you’d like to learn more about both, consider the Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification. The next group kicks off shortly.
What’s it all about?
The Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification is the world’s most respected nutrition education program. It gives you the knowledge, systems, and tools you need to really understand how food influences a person’s health and fitness. Plus the ability to turn that knowledge into a thriving coaching practice.
Developed over 15 years, and proven with over 100,000 clients and patients, the Level 1 curriculum stands alone as the authority on the science of nutrition and the art of coaching.
Whether you’re already mid-career, or just starting out, the Level 1 Certification is your springboard to a deeper understanding of nutrition, the authority to coach it, and the ability to turn what you know into results.
[Of course, if you’re already a student or graduate of the Level 1 Certification, check out our Level 2 Certification Master Class. It’s an exclusive, year-long mentorship designed for elite professionals looking to master the art of coaching and be part of the top 1% of health and fitness coaches in the world.]
We’ll be opening up spots in our next Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification on Wednesday, April 3rd, 2019.
If you want to find out more, we’ve set up the following presale list, which gives you two advantages.
If you’re ready for a deeper understanding of nutrition, the authority to coach it, and the ability to turn what you know into results… this is your chance to see what the world’s top professional nutrition coaching system can do for you.
The post Meal plans usually suck. Here are 6 better ways to transform your diet. appeared first on Precision Nutrition.
