As an Oakville-based nutritionist, I realize that starting your healthy U turn journey can be a challenge. Research says it takes twenty-one days to implement a new habit. It seems very hard to focus on only one habit at a time. When you start to dwell on all the bad habits you want o change into good habits, it can get overwhelming.

My nutritionist’ advice to you is to start with a food-mood diary. This is a great place to start from. It has been scientifically demonstrated that that what we eat affects how we feel and how we act. A food-mood diary will help you pinpoint the areas of weakness to work on. More importantly learning to listen to your body will allow you to discover which foods are best for you.

8 Action steps for your Healthy U Turn by a Holistic Nutritionist in Oakville

1.      Drink pure water

• Drinking enough water is important to ensure flushing out toxins regularly before they reach a toxic level. It can prevent premature aging, eliminate pain and headaches and help with weight loss.
• Tap water contains chlorine, fluoride, chemicals, and sometimes lead. Invest in a water filter which suits your needs and budget.
• Try having a bottle of water on your desk or in your bag and sip it throughout the day. If you don’t like the taste of water try flavoring it with sliced lemon or cucumber.

2.      Eat more vegetables and fruits

• Try to snack on veggies and fruits instead of cookies and crackers. Eat raw vegetables as carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers and celery with healthy dips as tzatziki, tahini, hummus and bean dips.
• Include fruits and green leafy vegetables as spinach and kale in a nutritious smoothie for breakfast or as a snack.
• Add sauces to vegetables and season them with your favorite spices to make them tastier.

3.      Avoid Coffee, alcohol and tobacco

Coffee is an addictive stimulant that increases the incidence of stress-related medical problems. If you are addicted to coffee, replace coffee with antioxidant rich green tea, white tea and herbal teas as peppermint, chamomile and rooibos. There are herbal coffee substitutes made from toasted dandelion, chicory and grains which are energizing and detoxifying. You can find them in big health food stores.

4.      Eat less meat and dairy

Try to eat vegetarian at least once a week. It was scientifically proven that a vegetarian diet helps with many health conditions as high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, overweight and arthritis. It can also protect from cancer.

5.      Practice cooking

When you prepare most of your food from scratch you have control over the ingredients. You avoid cheap and low quality ingredients as hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, additives and preservatives. You are also eating less fast foods and junk. The most important tip is to plan ahead and set a few hours every week to prepare and cook your meals.

6.      Learn to read ingredient labels and nutrition panels

The five worst ingredients to avoid are: Trans fat (hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils), high fructose corn syrup(glucose fructose), monosodium glutamate (MSG), artificial colors and preservatives as BHT, BHA, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, sodium nitrite and sodium metabisulphite. As a rule of thumb, if you don’t know what’s inside a package, don’t eat it.

7.   Experiment with new healthy foods

Try whole grains as quinoa, millet and buckwheat and vegetables as kale, Swiss chard and dandelion. Try using healthy oils as olive oil and coconut oil in cooking.

8.   De-stress

Get 8 hours of sleep every night. Take short rests throughout the day to relax. Just close your eyes and practice deep breathing. Listen to soft music or have a walk around the block where you live or work. Have a regular spiritual practice as prayer or meditation.

Back To You

Sometime over the next day or so, take twenty minutes out of your day and create a list of habits you want to add in or take out of your life. Prioritize them and work on one habit a time.

Share your goals with your family and involve them in your plans. When you make an achievement celebrate your success and start working on new goal.

I wish you good Luck in your Healthy U Turn  journey.

We offer tele-health coaching via Zoom, so we can help you if you are out of area. If you need help with your health and nutrition, sign up for a 15 Min Discovery Call with Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Life Coach, Maha Nasr to discuss your current goals and concerns and ask how we she can help you.

If you find this information useful, please feel free to share with your family or friends.