Today, I wanted to talk briefly about a shift in thinking about food. So often, people tell you what you shouldn't eat. Don't eat sugar, don't eat carbs, don't eat processed foods, don't eat after 7:00 at night, whatever it might be. It's generally focused around DON'TS.
But it has been my experience that when I focus on the DO'S instead of the DON'TS, I get a lot farther and feel a lot better. Check this out:
Most of us grew up with the Food Guide Pyramid, which we may - or may not - have paid enough attention to that we could actually talk about it, quote from it, etc. HOWEVER, with the obesity and downward trends in health in the United States today compared to even 50 years ago, the government has revised the food guide pyramid to show us simply a PLATE and what should be on that plate at each meal:
If you take a salad-sized plate and divide it in half - on one half, you should have 1/2 grains (about 1/2 of a cup of most grains) and 1/2 protein (3-4 ounces). On the other half, you should have 1/4 fruit (a small apple, 1/2 cup of other fruits) and 3/4 vegetables (1 cup raw, 1/2 cup steamed). And then add in a side of dairy. For small children, the same visual applies, the plate - and therefore the servings - would just be smaller/adjusted accordingly. It's GENIUS, really!
If you look at the MyPlate.gov guidelines, American people should be the healthiest people alive! Why aren't we? Because we just don't sit down and DO what our bodies need us to do in order to protect them! We don't like it when someone says that we shouldn't eat this or drink that because our bodies, quite frankly, are so used to being UNhealthy that they crave the things that make us fat, sick, unable to think clearly, and unhappy.
But - since it can be overwhelming to think of all the changes we need to make when we focus on cleaning out our cupboards and re-visiting our pantries and fridges, think instead of what you SHOULD eat in a day and start ADDING those things to your diet. And once you get all of the "DO" things in, know what? You probably won't WANT the "DON'TS" because your body will be so SATISFIED by what it has eaten!
Here's a little DIY Activity I made up in college that really helped me - and it's something you can get the ENTIRE family involved in:
1) Take two regular-sized envelopes and tape the backs together so that the openings are facing out and open. Don't tape the flaps together, just the backs.
2) In a document, create a word strip for every serving of food you SHOULD eat in each meal for the entire day. Do a little research for each member of your family - the recommended amounts are based on age, gender, and physical activity. For example, a 25-year-old female needs 2 cups of fruit a day, so since 1/2 cup is one serving, she would have four strips of paper that each said "fruit" on them. She also needs 2 1/2-3 cups of vegetables a day. So three strips of paper that each said "vegetable" on them.
3) Below the opening on one envelope, write the word "EAT" or "DO"; on the opening of the other envelope, write the word "ATE" or "DONE".
4) Place all of the word strips in the "EAT" side.
5) As you plan and eat meals throughout the day, move ALL of your word strips to the "ATE" side BEFORE you eat anything NOT in the envelope.
6) Hang the envelope on the refrigerator so you remember and can easily access it when you are hungry/want to eat something.
You can have each family member decorate their envelope however they want - and even their strips of paper, so they won't get lost. I also laminated my strips of paper and covered my envelopes with tape so they would last longer. It's a fun, easy way to switch the focus to what you are "DO"-ing instead of what you shouldn't be!
You can make it a family game - or a competition between you and your spouse or one of your children.
If you look at the MyPlate.gov guidelines, American people should be the healthiest people alive! Why aren't we? Because we just don't sit down and DO what our bodies need us to do in order to protect them! We don't like it when someone says that we shouldn't eat this or drink that because our bodies, quite frankly, are so used to being UNhealthy that they crave the things that make us fat, sick, unable to think clearly, and unhappy.
But - since it can be overwhelming to think of all the changes we need to make when we focus on cleaning out our cupboards and re-visiting our pantries and fridges, think instead of what you SHOULD eat in a day and start ADDING those things to your diet. And once you get all of the "DO" things in, know what? You probably won't WANT the "DON'TS" because your body will be so SATISFIED by what it has eaten!
Here's a little DIY Activity I made up in college that really helped me - and it's something you can get the ENTIRE family involved in:
1) Take two regular-sized envelopes and tape the backs together so that the openings are facing out and open. Don't tape the flaps together, just the backs.
2) In a document, create a word strip for every serving of food you SHOULD eat in each meal for the entire day. Do a little research for each member of your family - the recommended amounts are based on age, gender, and physical activity. For example, a 25-year-old female needs 2 cups of fruit a day, so since 1/2 cup is one serving, she would have four strips of paper that each said "fruit" on them. She also needs 2 1/2-3 cups of vegetables a day. So three strips of paper that each said "vegetable" on them.
3) Below the opening on one envelope, write the word "EAT" or "DO"; on the opening of the other envelope, write the word "ATE" or "DONE".
4) Place all of the word strips in the "EAT" side.
5) As you plan and eat meals throughout the day, move ALL of your word strips to the "ATE" side BEFORE you eat anything NOT in the envelope.
6) Hang the envelope on the refrigerator so you remember and can easily access it when you are hungry/want to eat something.
You can have each family member decorate their envelope however they want - and even their strips of paper, so they won't get lost. I also laminated my strips of paper and covered my envelopes with tape so they would last longer. It's a fun, easy way to switch the focus to what you are "DO"-ing instead of what you shouldn't be!
You can make it a family game - or a competition between you and your spouse or one of your children.
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