New Year, New Diet?

2020 was a difficult, yet enlightening year. Many of us realized what genuinely matters, as well as the priceless value of our health. As we continue to reflect on the year and think ahead for what we envision 2021 to look like, remember to make optimal health as one of your resolutions, but make sure your goals are realistic and worth your time and efforts. While considering health and New Year’s resolutions, weight tends to be the emphasis.  This year, instead of focusing on that fateful number on the scale and what everyone else is doing, focus on your own overall health instead. 

This post will be part of a 4-week New Year’s Resolutions series, beginning with diet.

Each year seems to have a new fad diet ranging from Keto, Paleo, Vegan, etc. Instead of following the new craze, simplify your life by adjusting your goal to eat a diet that consists of a variety of real food that you enjoy eating. Carbohydrates, fat and even the occasional sweet treats are not evil, but just like with everything else in life should be balanced. Having less restrictions on your dietary options makes for a sustainable, realistic, and enjoyable relationship with your food without an association of guilt when you do eat outside of the limits.

The goal for “diets” should involve finding food plans that encompass the following points:

• Truly Healthy Food – Keep this simple. If it is a naturally occurring food, eat it in abundance.
• Variety – Incorporate all the colors of the rainbow of food. Spinach is healthy, but not as much if it is the only vegetable you eat.
• Personalized – Focus on the foods that make you feel good, physically, and mentally. If you do not enjoy eating meat, do not feel pressured into it. If you feel better eating animal products, consume them responsibly. Keeping a brief diet diary along with how you feel can help you determine which foods help you feel your best, keeping in mind some foods may cause symptoms hours later.
• Realistic – Creating a diet plan that is too restrictive is not realistic for enjoying your life, nor is it realistic for longevity. Dietary plans should be more of a lifestyle change instead of a set period.
• Flexibility – Allow yourself to make mistakes without guilt attached. Pizza nights or dinner with friends can be enjoyed without feelings of failure.
• Water – Never forget to incorporate adequate hydration. A simple tip is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day. Coffee and tea are OK, but more dehydrating due to the diuretic effects of caffeine.
• Cook – Cooking your own food is the best way to eat healthy while maintaining a budget. Relying on healthy food at restaurants can be done with some locations, but many places add extra calories in the forms of butter and oil. Making time to cook allows you to eat healthy while also saving money. If you do not enjoy cooking like many others, find a few staples you can make larger batches of to make your life easier and less stressful. Having food prepared in advance also reduces the likelihood of snacking on quick food or grabbing food out. If you do eat out often, choose restaurants with healthier options.

While you should allow yourself time to eat more freely, if you find yourself gravitating towards poor choices more frequently than you would like, do not be ashamed to ask for help. Eating poorly more often can be as simple of falling into bad habits, or more complex such as a nutrient deficiency, poor sleep, or even emotional eating.  Assessing why helps allow for a more direct  and successful resolution.

As with everything else in the world diet is not once size fits all. For many, following these basic guidelines are enough while some underlying conditions may require further dietary adjustments more pertinent for their health history and goals.

For 2021, make it a point to find the diet that makes YOU feel YOUR best.

Author

Teresa Spano