Healthy Eating: Letter from our Editor
At Connect Circle, we want to help you eat food that makes you feel good. Looking at science is always where we start, but we understand that real-life eating doesn’t fit some perfect nutrient pattern. Here’s how you can refresh your eating habits while enjoying your meals.
Almost every January, without fail, people become interested in Nutrition, health, and wellness. Countless resolutions around weight loss, specific eating patterns, fitness goals, and more exist.
While I love to see the enthusiasm around taking better care of yourself, all too often, it starts with eliminating countless foods and hitting the gym 7 days a week. The lofty start may sound great but tends to fizzle out after a few weeks.
Instead of banishing sugar, carbs, or bread — what if you focused on small, positive changes you could make? Swaps may not feel as significant but are much more likely to be sustainable.
It’s estimated that only about 9% of people stick to their resolutions yearly. Why not try a healthy refresh instead? It could be more exciting, but getting back to basics is essential.
If you need clarification about where to start, you’re not alone. Almost everyone has an opinion about Nutrition, which is not always — err, rarely — based on evidence.
It can be overwhelming on social media to sift through nutrition information and figure out what’s true and makes sense for you. I encourage you to start with what the science says and start small.
New research by Trusted Source was just published, showing how important hydration is for healthy aging, so drink more water (perhaps a new water bottle will help motivate you).
Sleep is essential for overall health and impacts your appetite and food cravings (try these science-based tips for better sleep).
Nearly 90% of us (Trusted Source) need to eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, but we have some creative and simple ways to help you get your fill.
Suppose you’re already checking those boxes and getting some movement in; good for you. Think about other small ways to refresh your eating habits. You could aim to try one new food a week, eat protein-rich foods at most meals and snacks, cook more at home, or do meal prep on Sundays.
Notice how most of the small changes I mention are positive. They’re foods or habits you can add to your day. I don’t like restriction or deprivation, but adding some good stuff can naturally help crowd out other behaviors.
At Connect Circle, we want Nutrition to be for everybody.
Often Nutrition and healthy eating are presented like an $8 smoothie full of potions, powders, and tinctures. In reality, you could whip up a smoothie with some frozen fruits and veggies for a fraction of the price that will still be very good for you.
In addition to being budget-friendly, healthy food should taste good. Only 29% of Connect Circle readers said healthy food tastes good, meaning most people equate healthy food with bad tasting. This is one myth I hope we can banish together.
Not everything needs to be the most amazing meal of your life, but have you ever tried a roasted Brussels sprout? They’re light years away in flavor from any steamed or boiled sprouts you may remember as a kid.
If cooking feels overwhelming, these 10 simple dinner recipes can help you put tasty and easy meals on the table. Or try a healthy meal delivery service to make dinner even easier.
Healthy eating should incorporate foods you love, grew up with, and are part of your culture.
Beyond your plate
Nutrition is one piece of a complex puzzle regarding your health. Even though good Nutrition is key, it’s not the only thing that matters.
Regarding a healthy refresh, some changes will happen on your plate, and some will happen outside of Nutrition—general wellness behaviors like getting more sleep, moving your body and caring for your mental well-being.
Far too often, I see people feel ashamed for eating a brownie or french fries or making a food choice they have deemed “bad.” Try and let go of guilt around food and treat yourself with kindness this year.
On days I’m reaching for more processed food than usual, it means I was busy making good memories. Instead of getting down on myself, I let it go and trusted that my next few meals would be more nutrient-dense.
At Connect Circle, we’ll teach you about optimal Nutrition and empower you to take that information and apply it to determine what works for you. Sometimes that will be high-protein salads, and sometimes it will be enjoying cookies guilt-free.
I’m rooting for you to give up the goal of dietary perfection and instead embrace what comes along with eating foods that make you feel good.
When you come to Nutrition, it feels like sitting down for a cozy, comforting, and balanced meal with a friend who knows much about nutrition science.
Here’s to ditch resolutions to refresh your eating habits in 2023.
