Healthy Habits – What habits can you make part of your routine for a healthy mind and body?
– By Giselle Hanson (Health Coach)
1. Planning:
Grocery shopping
- Cover basic categories for meals. For example: Vegetables, meats/dairy/eggs (or alternative protein), grains/legumes (e.g. rice/oats/chickpeas/lentils), fats (nuts/olive oil)
- Pre-write your list. Don’t make it up as you go when you get there.
- Don’t go when hungry!
2. Preparation
Make time to bulk cook or chop even one part of a meal.
- Have a bunch of veggies ready to cook/eat
- Make up a big pot of chilli con carne or casserole
- Always cook an extra portion to freeze/keep for the next day
3. Routine
Find the time that suits you to do your preparation. Keep this regular if you can so that you don’t have to think about it in advance
4. Creativity
Avoid boredom – Experiment with new things! Search for things that you like and keep those recipes in rotation.
5. Joy
Choose delicious healthy swaps that make you feel good. Healthy’ doesn’t mean not tasty. You can have both!
6. Tracking
If you’re not feeling balanced in your nutrition this helps with awareness of behaviour patterns. It also creates accountability to yourself – You can’t ‘forget’ what you’ve eaten if you have a record of it. For some people this can feel restrictive – If so, DON’T DO IT. It can be a really great awareness tool but not if it doesn’t help you learn more about food and your own patterns in a positive way.
7. Share
Make a plan to cook with your family/housemates/friends. This creates accountability and makes it fun!
8. Exercise
Take the opportunity to exercise when you can – it all adds up. Walk a bus stop further, take a quick walk around the block etc.
