Time to Put Your Excuses Aside
Do you want to clean up your diet and eat more nutritious foods in order to feel better? Are you having trouble finding the “right” time to start? There will always be holidays, vacations, parties, events and temptations resulting in a variety of excuses. My name is Mackenzie Schiltz. I am NaturoMedica’s new Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, and I am here to tell you that the perfect time is now! I understand that avoidance serves as protection against potential criticism or failure. Unfortunately, it is also what keeps us from growing into our most healthy, best self. I am not saying it is easy but it is entirely in your power to improve your diet and I am here to help you every step of the way.
Do you feel like you don’t have enough time?
Today our world is busier than ever, which means healthy eating takes a back seat and cooking from scratch seems unrealistic. I will help you come up with easy meals and recipes where you will spend less time in the kitchen. I will help you come up with meal prep strategies and take advantage of healthful convenience foods. Each of us has the power to reset our routines and make healthy eating a priority.
One simple tip is to take advantage of the freezer section at grocery stores for fruits, vegetables, and protein sources! A lot of times frozen fruits and vegetables have more nutrients than what is sitting on the shelf, depending on what is in season. Frozen fruits can be used in smoothies or heated up to be put on top of yogurt and oatmeal. Frozen veggies can be used in a smoothie to sneak in extra greens or steamed or roasted for a stir fry. I am guilty of not buying as much fresh produce or protein sources as I would like because I may not cook them before they go bad. The best part about these frozen items…they will not go bad and you can assure that you always have nutrient dense foods in the house!
Does it seem like eating healthy is too expensive?
It can be, yes. But with my help you will learn how to shop smart and take advantage of foods that are on sale and in season. The more you cook at home, the less you spend going out to eat and buying packaged and processed food. Most “cheap” foods satisfy you at first, but in reality, you are consuming more trans and saturated fats, chemicals, processed ingredients and empty calories. Therefore, you are paying for quick fixes to your cravings rather than investing in long-term healthy food choices that make you feel your best.
Having an idea and a plan of what you are going to eat throughout the week can help to avoid food waste, which helps you avoid throwing away food that you spent money on. I understand that meal planning can get monotonous, but I am here to help and to provide some affordable culinary inspiration to your meal planning.
Are you always on the go?
Whether it be traveling for work, dropping off the kids to and from school, or driving to numerous appointments, it is possible to stay on track as long as you are prepared! I will help you become better prepared by teaching you how to choose healthy portable snacks and meals, make your own meals and snacks to bring on the go, and make good decisions when you dine out.
During a busy day, it is common to be focused on getting our daily tasks completed and not so much what we are eating along the way. Our bodies need energy from nutritious food to keep up with those energy demands. Convenience is key, and convenience foods do not have to be processed, packaged foods and drive-thrus. There are products out there that are both convenient and healthy. It just takes some practice with reading labels and knowing how to ask restaurants for healthy modifications - both of these strategies are things that I can help you navigate!
Is your family too picky?
It may take time for the whole family to make the transition to eating nutritious foods, but palates will change and expand! Expanding children’s range of taste is a natural part of development. Research shows that it takes ten or more times of exposing kids to a new food before they even accept that food…not enjoy it, accept it, so do not give up! If your child does not like a food one way, he or she may like it prepared a different way. I will help you find ways to sneak greens in your kid’s meals and plan and prepare healthy recipes that also taste great and help keep meals flexible.
You can feel free to bring your kids into a nutrition session with you! When kids learn about food, are excited about food and come up with their own meal and snack ideas, they are a lot more inclined to eat it. I enjoy working with kids of all ages and find that I have a great ability to connect and get through to them.
Each one of us are guilty of using one (or all!) of the excuses above, plus more. While making excuses is a subconscious process, creating a habit requires hard work and conscious effort. We tend to have this idea in our heads that living a healthy lifestyle is a time-consuming, monotonous task. At NaturoMedica, I will work with you to find clarity in your personal nutrition plan that is sustainable and supports the life that you want to live. I will meet you where you are at in order to make healthy eating fit into your lifestyle in a way that you can happily maintain forever.
Please call NaturoMedica at (425) 557-8900 to schedule a free 30 minute consult with me to see if I can be of assistance to you. I am looking forward to meeting you and helping you eat more nutritiously, whatever your goals may be.
