Don't Think You Can Get Healthy?

That’s what I used to say. When facing food that tastes good, but is bad for you, there's that feeling of powerless when tempted by its flavor or aroma… be it sweet, salty, or both.  Then comes the day when you realize that you are sick and tired of being sick and tired. Along with that realization, comes the nagging question... “Can I really get healthy?” In years past, the following are some of the reasons why I thought I could not get healthy. The difference between now and then though is that I now have some comebacks to keep me focused.

1. I don’t eat THAT much junk food! I didn't think so until I kept a food diary and discovered that I ate more junk food than I cared to admit to myself, to my husband, or to my stepson. Whether it’s a pad of paper or a phone app such as “LoseIt”, a food diary allows you to take a hard look at what you eat during the course of a day. Before you know it, you start to see eating patterns emerge. For example, my husband would have a big breakfast at home, but still have room for donuts before lunch when someone brought them into work. Then after lunch, he would hit the vending machines. For me, I loaded up on carbs throughout the day. It would be pancakes, French toast, or hash browns for breakfast; a sandwich or leftover pasta for lunch; followed by a mid-afternoon snack be it a Mounds bar or a handful of Twizzlers – all in an effort to get that much-needed energy boost to get through the rest of the day. Using a phone app has an added bonus of not only tracking what you eat, but also the exercises you take in, calculating the calories you consume and burn as well as the nutrients you take in be it carbs, fats, or protein along with cholesterol and sodium levels.
2. I wouldn’t know where to begin. Once you become familiar with your eating patterns, you know what and where to cut back on. Being Italian in heritage, I have to tell you that I ate a lot of bread and pasta in my day. What's more, I could not even begin to imagine a life without either one. Ultimately, my food diary did not lie. I knew in my heart that I had to cut down on those tasty carbs. Keeping a food diary has helped me to stay connected in terms of what I ate compared to how I felt. My gut ached on days filled with bread and pasta. In addition, I felt bloated, tired, and cranky. Conversely, on days I had protein, fruits, and vegetables I felt thinner, had a clearer head, and more energy.  So the logical first step for me was to seek out appetizing Paleo and Gluten-Free recipes.
3. Healthy foods are bland and boring. Truth is they do not have to be. Spice them up with flavored butter or spices. Reinvent old recipes using spaghetti squash in place of pasta; cauliflower as the base for “mock fried rice”, or zucchini as the “crust” the next time you make pizza. This is your chance to get creative!
4. I don't have time to make meals from scratch. Truth is grocery stores now offer fruits and vegetables pre-washed and cut. Lean cuts of meat are already seasoned and ready to throw in the oven (be sure to read labels before purchase for any “unsafe” ingredients such as gluten or MSG) . As a result, stir fries take less time to make on your stovetop than it does to microwave a frozen lasagna or bake a store-bough pizza in the oven.
5. I don’t feel ready. That’s ok. Practice in moderation and realize each new day provides another opportunity to get healthy. It took my husband and I a good six weeks and a lot of trial and error to get into the groove of a new dietary routine. Even then we gave ourselves permission (I know I did at least)  to indulge now and then. What I discovered along the way was that by giving into your cravings, the cravings dissipate. No longer feeling deprived, you're ready to start anew. What’s more, you learn after a few indulgences that the foods you crave no longer taste nearly as good as they once did!

      What are some of your reasons for not getting healthy? Chances are... there's even better reasons to get healthy!