Let’s Assess Your Diet!
Episode #7 of the course How to adopt a flexitarian lifestyle by Alyce Eyster
Hey there! By now you should have a good understanding of why the flexitarian diet is so healthy. Let’s review—flexitarians consume LOTS of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and minimal lean protein and dairy. Now let’s take a closer look at your current diet, set goals, and strategize.
Lightning Assessment
Let’s check in with your eating habits and identify some problems and areas for improvement. You might want to grab pen and paper or your device to jot some notes. Ask yourself:
• What is good about your diet? How is it healthy?
• What is not so great about your diet? Consider processed foods, sugar, salt, and fat.
• What areas are aching for improvement? Some example might be: drink too much soda, coffee habit is out of control, sweet tooth, too much fat in diet, not enough lean proteins, not getting enough fiber and vegetables.
What is Your Intention?
Now let’s set some attainable goals.
The plant-based diet is simple. The goals are:
1. More vegetables.
2. Complex, fiber-rich carbs like beans and whole grains instead of simple carbs like rice, potatoes, cookies, and pizza.
3. Minimal lean animal protein and dairy instead of fattier choices.
How to Get There
Now let’s talk strategies to attain these goals. There are many, but here are a few to consider:
• Switch from simple carbs to complex carbs with an emphasis on whole grains and legumes. For example, switch from white rice to brown rice or quinoa.
• Cut back on the sweets. Save them for the weekend, like savor a really amazing piece of cake on Saturday.
• Like sweets, save the drinking for the weekend. And red wine is a better choice because some studies have shown it is more healthful.
• Sub water for the sugary beverages like soda.
• Cut down on the coffee if it includes lots of sugary and fatty add-ins. Cut the sugar and opt for low-fat milk instead of whipped cream.
• Set a goal of enjoying two or three produce items at both lunch and dinner.
• As for cooking, google easy, healthy veggie recipes. You might browse paleomg.com, kalynskitchen.com, and alldayidreamaboutfood.com.
• Eat more lean protein, like chicken and fish, and cut back on fattier cuts of beef, bacon, and sausage.
• Adjust your attitude. Know that if you have big goals and much progress to make, change won’t come easily. Do your best to prepare for it, and meditate on all the goodness that is now fueling your body. You are getting STRONGER and HEALTHIER, and that is a beautiful thing.
Now…do it. Get excited and pumped up, because you are getting healthy and strong. Jump in and go for it. What are you waiting for?
Tomorrow: we attack challenges that might arise in your quest to become a flexitarian.
Recommended book
Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin
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