I went back to school to study Nutrition because I want to help people eat healthier, cook more and feel better about themselves.
When you eat right and lead a more active lifestyle you feel better about yourself.
When you feel better about yourself you are a happier person and have happier relationships (with your family, friends, etc).
AND by eating better and exercising you are leading a more preventative lifestyle and could be saving yourself years of misery and disease later in life.
This is something I have a huge passion for.. and I cant wait to graduate with my Nutrition degree so that I can start helping people professionally and continue to do Nutrition-based research for years to come.
Even though I am not a Registered Dietician or “Nutritionist”…. nor do I have my Bachelor’s Degree in Nutrition yet…. I still want try and help people with the knowledge I currently have (that is constantly increasing thanks to my studies).
So, for starters, I want to explain a few things about my theory on eating healthy:
1. I dont think eating healthy should be called a “diet”. In today’s society the word “diet” implies that its temporary… and that one day you will revert back to eating how you always have.
I prefer to think of it as a “lifestyle change” or just simply put “I am more conscious of what I eat now”.
2. I dont think that a person should have to stop eating the foods that they love just to become healthy.
If you love sweets (like I do) then you should be able to enjoy them. BUT moderation is key.
I have a GIANT sweet tooth. but I try to limit my sweets/desserts to the weekends only. Or special occasions. and if I do splurge, I usually make the sweets/desserts myself so that I know what ingredients I’m using and I know how it’s prepared.
3. My rule on splurging: If you are going to splurge, then splurge.
Don’t drink the “diet” soda, get the real thing.
Don’t get the “sugar free” dessert option, get the real thing.
Don’t get the “fat free” cheese, get the real stuff.
Why? because most of the time the diet/sugar free/less fat stuff doesn’t taste like the thing you really want….So you will eat the “fake” version and will still crave the real thing (and will likely end up eating it; thus doubling your intake of this “bad for you” food).
AND, most of the time the the “healthier alternative” to junk food has preservatives/additives added to it to make it fat free/diet/sugar free; and those additives/preservatives can actually be worse than the real thing anyway.
The cool thing about altering your diet is that once you get on a healthy eating pattern your body ends up not craving those “junk foods” anymore. So splurging will become less and less- and eating healthy will become more and more second nature.
When you start to purge your body of the toxins, additives, preservatives, etc of unhealthy, junk food and replace them with the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc of the healthy “whole” foods…. then your body will begin to start craving fruits or vegetables and a glass of water instead.
I am looking forward to generating new “healthy eating” posts as my studies continue and as I work towards my Bachelor’s degree!
coffee.wine.andyoga. 