TIPS AND TOOLS FOR SUCCESS FOR THE LIVE WELL KITSAP TRANSFORMATION EVENT

WEEK 4. DIET / NUTRITION

PRO TIPS FROM THE LWK TEAM

 

RE: SMOOTHIES AND PROTEIN

Many of us do not eat a good healthy balanced diet. This is a great week to focus on how you are fueling your body.  Smoothies are a great way to energize in the morning and a good replacement for coffee.  If possible, use a good high powered blender like a ninja or vitamix.

 

A basic smoothie recipe:  use alternative milk- almond, coconut, flax milk, oat milk or other nut milks are great options. Add a small banana for thickness, potassium and sweetness. Add one or more additional fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, peaches etc.  Add a big handful of greens- spinach, swiss chard, or kale. (the greens will add nutrition but you won’t taste them). Add a few ice cubes and off you go! Blend well.

 

You can also add nutrition boosts. (Do your research to ensure you or others in the family don’t have any allergies to any of these before you use them.) Some options include protein powder, vitamin C powder, bee pollen, mushroom powder, or green powders.

 

Many of us don’t get enough protein and end up eating too many carbs. One idea is to marry your carbs to a protein. An example would be eating a cracker only if you eat it with a small bit of cheese or almond butter. 

 

If you need help with your diet, food intake, emotional eating, or weight loss, consider visiting with a nutritionist, or competent health coach or consultant. Many counselors are also able to help with emotional eating and weight issues. 

 

RE: GETTING THE FAMILY INVOLVED IN BETTER NUTRITION

If you have little ones at home, help them to learn the foods that are healthy and life giving from the foods that are made in the factory. Steer the family diet towards more natural and healthy plant based foods when possible. The more you educate kids and grandkids about the foods that keep us healthy and strong, the better this goes. Enlist the help of kids to cook and try new recipes together. Make this a fun family activity!  

 

 As you plan meals, think of color rather than “meat, potato, veggie.”  Consider offering 2 veggies or more with your meals especially lunch and dinners.  As you plan meals, consider how you can create a “rainbow of color on your plate.”  Adding vibrant colors:  beautiful reds (beets, grapes, bell peppers, strawberries, apples) or oranges and  golds ( beets, oranges, carrots, bell peppers, squash, mangoes, jackfruit, ) and greens ( bell peppers, zucchinis, spinach, spring mix, swiss chard, cucumbers, romaine, and more.).   Spend some extra time in the produce aisle and also see how many healthier alternatives you can find for the staples you typically buy.

 

RE: CHANGING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD

Food is designed to nourish us and taste good however food can be used as a drug- “comfort food.” We gravitate toward comfort foods as they are often high in fat, sugar and /or salt. We all are hard wired to like those things so we can quickly become addicted to them. 

 

This week, focus on eating for pleasure and nutrition, and eating when hungry.  Find another activity to do when you are tempted to eat out of boredom, loneliness, anger, frustration, fear  or tiredness. This is a great time to enlist the help and support of your A/E buddy!

 

Make a choice to eat away from the TV and be present with your food. That will make it more likely you will enjoy your meal and be less tempted to go back for more.

 

 

HOW TO USE THE TRANSFORMATION THIS WEEK- OPTIONS AND POSSIBILITIES:

 

Do the Transformation just how it is laid out- one challenge activity per day.

If that feels overwhelming, pick just one or two of the daily challenges and focus on doing them each day.

 

MAKE THE TRANSFORMATION WORK FOR YOU!  EACH DAY IS AN IDEA AND A SUGGESTION OF WHAT YOU MIGHT DO. MODIFY TO FIT YOUR NEEDS AND GOALS. 

 

By the end of the week, consider how one of the daily transformation activities if repeated and became habit might help you accomplish a health goal. Decide which activity and then put it in your calendar as a regular appointment/ activity.  

 

Be sure to touch base with your A/E buddy regularly or as often as the two of you have agreed upon.

 

Find a small way to reward yourself for completing Week 4 of the Live Well Kitsap Transformation Event!

 

You may choose to track or journal your experiences from the week, and /or share with us in the Live Well Kitsap forum. Take some pics and share with us what you did this week!

 

Be sure to keep checking the Live Well Kitsap site for new videos in the Value video Library and enjoy the blogs and newsletters as well.