Step One - Planning
By Dr. Eric Peay
You’ve heard this before, “If you don’t know where you’re going how will you know when you get there?” Your healthy living plan is no different.
If you have absolutely no time at all to exercise (we’ll address that road block in the future) everyone has time to eat right. No one is too busy to eat. If you take away nothing else from this article remember this, the most important set to eating right is to plan your meals in advance!
Begin with your weekly calendar. Look at each day and determine if you will be able to prepare your own meals or if you have meal-out commitments (like the Chamber dinner on March 25). Jack in the Box® is right, breakfast is the most important meal but skip the fast food. For breakfast I recommend an equal amount of proteins and carbohydrates to get your insulin levels off to a normal start for the day. Eggs with fruit would be an ideal choice. Another option would be a 4 ounce chicken breast with oatmeal.
For lunch you should focus on again equal proportioning of proteins and carbohydrates. I choose 4 to 6 oz of protein with 4 to 6 oz of complex carbohydrates such as rice or sweet potatoes, along with 4 to 6 oz of non-starchy veggies such as asparagus or broccoli. If 4 to 6 oz is not enough for you, just make sure your portions of proteins and carbohydrates are equivalent (ex: 8 oz protein, 8 oz. carbohydrates).
Ideally dinners should contain protein and non-starchy vegetables. Include complex carbohydrates if your workouts are later in the day before dinner.
Don’t forget some healthy snacks. You’re going to want something between meals. Make an intelligent choice. That Snickers® bar sounds good at the time, but it will completely derail your healthy efforts. Instead think about nuts or a protein bar, always make sure that you have something for in-between meals to keep your insulin stable throughout the day. Raw almonds are a good choice
Make a list, check it twice and head to the grocery store. Be certain that your list includes plenty of lean proteins, unprocessed carbohydrates (sweet potatoes and brown rice) and a good variety of fruits and vegetables. Since the recommendation is for 5 servings of vegetables each day, choose 5 different colored vegetables to get the beneficial antioxidants and constituents of the different colored vegetables and fruits.
Whenever possible try to prepare your lunches ahead of time so you can grab and go. On the weekend take some time to prep your dinners as much as possible. It will make dinner time a lot easier and lessen the chance that you run out for something fast and easy (and bad for you).
Keep that networking lunch or Chamber dinner from throwing you off course. Eat the protein, eat the vegetables and skip the bread and potatoes. Ask the server if they can substitute the dessert for some fruit. What’s the worse they can say? When dining out, choose a meal from the menu that is either broiled or grilled, and without sauces, and choose sides such as rice and vegetables as opposed to fries. Again, don’t be afraid to ask for fruit or salad instead of fries. And always ask for sauces and dressings on the side.
If you’ve made it to the end of this article, good for you, you’re committed. Commitment is what it takes to create new, good habits. Planning your meals may seem like a lot of work at first, but in about three weeks you’ll find it to be second nature. You may also be surprised by the money you save!
Have questions or comments? You can reach me at DrPeay@COREhealthWellness.com
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