When it comes to diets, I can honestly say that I have tried everything under the sun. Paleo, low carb, low fat, calorie and macro counting, Weight Watchers, the list goes on. You name it I’ve probably done it or at least desperately considered it. Every time I toyed with the idea of starting a new fad diet or restrictive way of eating, the end goal was always the same; to lose weight and “get healthy”. With all of these diets under my belt (literally) you would think that one of them had to work, right? And if I’m being truly honest, yes, some of these diets did work, but only ever in the short term. What I’ve learned over the years is that the only thing that these diets ever really did long term was make my weight fluctuate in extremely unhealthy ways and create a poor body image mentality.
If you have struggled with failed diets over the years, don’t worry, we are not the only ones dealing with the frustration. On average, 45 million Americans engaged in some form of diet each year. 45 million! And to make matters worse, Americans spend 33 BILLION dollars each year on weight loss products. source Listen up ya’ll. The diet industry is a money making scheme that thrives on failed diets because that’s exactly what diets are designed to do. FAIL. It has nothing to do your lack of will power, motivation or whatever else it is that you keep telling yourself is the issue. The diet is the issue because it is not a sustainable way to live your life in order to be healthy and happy.
So, now that we know that restrictive diets are not the answer to living your best life, you’re probably wondering what the answer actually is. Well, the short answer is that in order to improve your overall health, you need to evaluate several aspects of your life and make tweaks where applicable. Like always, if you are experiencing major health complications, please see your doctor. If you are looking for simple, holistic ways to improve your overall health and ditch the diet forever, consider taking a look at these simple, yet effective ways to improve your wellness. Take a look at your current diet/lifestyle and see where you can make small, manageable changes.
Eat a mostly whole foods diet
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Why is she talking about diets when we just talked about trying to ditch the diet? When we hear the word diet, yes, our minds tend to gravitate towards restrictive eating plans designed to help us lose weight. But really, the word diet simply means the kinds of food that a person habitually eats. In order for your body to function at its best, the foods that you are habitually eating should more often than not be in their whole form. One of the ways in which the diet industry thrives is through the sale of processed, packaged foods that are marketed towards those fad dieters. But here’s the thing. Our bodies were not designed to be pumped with artificial sweeteners, chemicals and preservatives and most packaged foods these days contain these toxins. Our bodies need vitamins and minerals to function properly and if we are constantly consuming processed foods that have been stripped of these nutrients, we are denying our bodies of the nourishment it needs to work! So, instead of reaching for a granola bar that is loaded with excess sugar and syrups, try opting for a small handful of nuts and a piece of fruit. You’ll still have the ease of a grab and go snack, but the health benefits you reap from eating the whole version of the food are much higher than the packaged bar.
Drink Water
Another simple way to improve your health is to look at your water intake. Water is so important to our body’s everyday function and the majority of people don’t get even close to the recommended 3 liters each day. Water is essential for digestion, keeps you regular and helps flush waste through your body. It is essential for cell turnover and keeps nutrients flowing through our system to the places they need to go. One of the biggest things to remember about water when it comes to hydrating our bodies is the source. Sparkling water, coffee, tea and other water based beverages don’t really count when it comes to reaching water intake levels. While these beverages are fine to consume throughout your day, they won’t help keep your body properly hydrated and your pH levels balanced like good old fashioned water can. I always start my day with 16 ounces of warm lemon water and keep a large cup at my desk that I can refill throughout the day. There are so many fun water bottles out there these days too that make it easy to monitor your water intake and stay hydrated.
Move your body
Just like drinking water, movement is an important way to keep our bodies functioning properly. Exercise has been proven to increase mood, reduce the risk of depression and anxiety, and help with sleep. In the long term it can help with weight management, strengthen your bones and muscles that tend to deteriorate over time, and reduce the risk of other chronic illnesses. Unfortunately, in this day and age, most of us spend 8+ hours a day inside, hunched in front a computer screen getting little to no movement. Because of this, it’s important to prioritize time in your day to move your body. When you think about exercise, try to focus on movements that you enjoy. My enjoyed movements have changed over the years too. Instead of spending hours in a gym like I did in my 20’s, I love going for walks around the neighborhood and ideally like to take 30 minutes before and after work to devote to this. I also love yoga and Pilates to help with strength training, flexibility, and my mental health. Finding something sustainable will ensure that you prioritize it daily.
Practice gratitude
Practicing gratitude is something that I have really tried to bring into my life lately. In a social media driven world, where we spend our days scrolling through the entire world’s highlight reel, it can be easy to get caught up in a mindset of want and desire. Throughout my health coaching journey, we spent a great deal of time talking about spirituality and more specifically the Laws of the Universe. Most people have heard about the Law of Attraction but not many, including myself, have heard about the Law of Vibration. This law states that our bodies (that are made up of energy) give off frequencies that either vibrate low or high depending on our thoughts, words, emotions and actions. The chart below shows that when we are in a state of desire, we vibrate at a very low frequency. At the other end of the spectrum, love, joy and peace allow us to vibrate at a high frequency. Constantly vibrating at a low frequency can result in several physical ailments including digestive issues, fatigue, depressive states, skin issues, etc. There are several ways to raise your vibration frequency and practicing gratitude is one of them. Recently I have started and ended my day with The Five Minute Journal which has allowed me to work on my gratitude practice instead of scrolling through my phone.
Reduce your stress
I’m sure that anyone reading this blog post has experienced stress at some point in their lives. Whether it was dealing with a demanding job or deadline, a chaotic schedule with your family, college exams, sitting in traffic, running late at the airport, wondering if you forgot to turn off the oven….the list of stressful situations that you have probably experienced in your life goes on and on. But here’s the thing about stress- over time, it can have serious effects on our body. In fact, the word stress is quite literally in the word destress and that is exactly what our bodies go through when we experience stress over and over again throughout our lives. For many people, stress ends up being the root cause of health complications including increased depression and anxiety, trouble sleeping, digestive issues, increased blood pressure and heart disease. While it can be hard to avoid stressful situations in life, it is important to find ways to manage and reduce the amount of stress that you experience. Incorporating a few of the following activities into your daily routine can do just that:
- meditation
- yoga
- deep breathing exercises
- journaling
- movement
- massage
Whatever method you choose to help reduce stress in your life, the most important thing to remember is that small habits lead to great results. You don’t have to meditate for hours on end or practice yoga every morning to see changes. Even taking a few deep breaths when things start to get hectic at work or pausing in your day to take a walk outside can be hugely beneficial to reducing stress and improving your overall health.
Diets are never the answer when it comes to our overall health or even specific wellness goals that we may have. Ditching the diet is always the goal and focusing on improving the other areas of your life that are mentioned above will definitely give you a more joyous and attainable approach to improving your overall wellness.
