New Year, Whole Me : Nutrition

New Year, Whole Me

Hey friends – today we are launching a new series that’ll run each Friday this month. I’m calling it “New Year, Whole Me”.

We as a team agree that “New Year, New Me” is kind of an awful saying. After all, we are all already awesome to begin with, right?! You are completely wonderful just the way you are, as am I!

Allow me to keep it real, though… From a personal perspective, here’s where I find myself. In 2017, I birthed a baby, birthed a new brand and website, birthed a book, and more. And I (really, we) did all of that successfully! Despite my type A / OCD tendencies, I’m proud to say I’ve been very patient and understanding with myself. I’ve been kind to myself in regards to losing the baby weight, in regards to some things slipping through the cracks, in regards to not being able to do it all.

But truth be told, I ended 2017 quite tired, quite frazzled, and still not fitting into my clothes. Again, all of that is fine, and I’m not judging myself or others. I just find myself with a sincere renewed desire to take care of myself in all ways. Physically, mentally, spiritually.

So with the idea of nurturing the whole me, we are excited to bring you “New Year, Whole Me” – a three-part series in which we will all benefit from expert advice in the realms of nutrition, fitness, and mindfulness.

Together, we will endeavor not to change ourselves, but rather to be our best, whole, complete selves. I hope you enjoy this as much as I am!

First up, today we’re talking nutrition with Registered and Licensed Dietitian Marla Murphy of The Blonde Pantry. She’s sharing some great tips on how to easily incorporate good, healthy choices into your life on a daily basis. And we have a great pinnable checklist below so you can refer back to it time and time again.

So, take it away, Marla!

1. Meal Prep

My favorite quote when it comes to staying on track is, “fail to plan, plan to fail”.

One of the simplest ways to plan is, at the beginning of the week, review your schedule and know when will be your best days to eat healthy and workout, and then the days in your week when it might be harder to stay on track. That might mean work dinners, happy hours and other social obligations that would cause you to maybe indulge more than normal.

On days where it is harder to stay on track, plan on getting your workout in before work or during your lunch break. As well, choose an easier meal option, like a crockpot recipe or grabbing your favorite salad at a nearby restaurant.

2. Find friends / co-workers who encourage and help one another

Office parties, co-workers’ birthdays, happy hours… it seems like reasons to celebrate in the workplace are endless, but all of that fun can easily keep you from reaching your goals.

Odds are, all of your co-workers want to make healthier choices too, so try suggesting to all bring healthier options like salads, vegetable/fruit plates and lighter main dishes to celebrations. That way, you’re leaving the guilt out of a good time and still able to celebrate!

Having co-workers who have healthy goals can help everyone stay accountable by working out together or going walking during lunch.

3. Rule of 3 (when eating out)

My “rule of 3” when eating out is simple.

You can have two out of the three categories that you want. For example, think of wine, main dishes and appetizers/dessert.

If I decide I want wine and dessert then my main dish has to be something healthier like grilled fish and a salad. You can have it all but not all at once so I recommend choosing the item that you are craving the most and focus on enjoying that while making a lighter or a healthier choice with your other dinner selections.

4. Drink water

The recommendation is eight glasses of water per day. However, getting in 64oz of fluid a day can be a bit of a chore if you are just sticking to plain water.

You can make your drink fun without adding a ton of sugar and calories! Some great options to chose instead of sodas are water infused with fruit, sparkling water like La Croix, and hot tea.

The key takeaways are to plan and get a bit creative. Healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, it can be really fun. I mean look at all these gorgeous colorful photos!

We’d love to hear what you do to maintain a healthy lifestyle when it comes to what you eat and drink. Let us know in the comments below. And thanks so much, Marla, for sharing your tips!

A Few More Things

1. Have you taken our reader survey? It only takes a couple minutes, and we’d really appreciate all your feedback! You can take it here.

2. Be sure to come back tomorrow for our beloved Saturday Source full of tons of great reads and finds we’ve been loving.

3. We are publishing a Q&A on Monday, so please send in any and all questions you might have to [email protected].

Happy Friday!