TikTok, Instagram, WebMD, research articles, Twitter, and even SnapChat are feeding us with so many conflicting bits of information that we’ve lost all trust in the internet. But also, ourselves in following through with the strict regimens and diets we see online.
Is the keto diet even beneficial? Are our favourite dishes health-foodie approved? Is a juice cleanse actually going to give us the health boost that we’ve been searching for?
Every site will give you a different answer with a different explanation. This tug between different realities and lifestyles is confusing, and more often than not, a deterrent to pursuing a healthier lifestyle because we don’t know where to start.
In university, I was literally eating frozen eggos as a form of nourishment. My diet sucked. Not surprisingly, I was also at my worst mentally. I was riddled with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Both not eating food and eating poorly are harmful to your body. It restricts your vessel from receiving the proper tools it needs to survive and function to the best of its ability.
You might still be reading this article and disagreeing with me—believing that you do not need to change your diet. So, I want to share four signs it's time to officially change your food choices!
Sign #1: Low Energy
If you struggle to get out of bed or experience fluctuations of energy throughout the day, then it's time you check in with your food choices. This means that your body may not be receiving sustenance from other sources that are essential to daily life, such as food. Incorporating veggies into your routine rich in important nutrients and vitamins is going to be key for you!
Sign #2: Low Motivation
Low motivation isn't just a mindset thing. It can also stem from our bodies and how we take care of them...or not. When you feed your body nourishing foods it gives you the energy, drive and motivation to want to complete your tasks for the day. We have all had the experience of having a not-so-healthy meal for lunch like a burger, and then had zero motivation to get anything done for the day aka. the post-lunch itis.
Sign #3: Struggling to Regulate Your Emotions
Constant irritation, outbursts of anger, random episodes of sadness, are all signs that something is off with your diet! This isn't just a mindset thing people. Your mind and body are directly connected with one another. If one is negatively impacted then the other will follow. Eating well and equipping your mind with tools to regulate emotions and make smart decisions is essential.
Sign #4: You Feel Like Your Brain is Broken
Nutrients are tools for success. If you are not providing your brain with the proper tools it needs to thrive, think well, and feel well, then your brain is going to feel foggy, broken, tired, or even physically strained. Providing your brain with the right foods as fuel for energy, emotional regulation, decision-making, and everything else that makes humans so complex and beautiful is so important!
I’m not telling you to cut out all processed foods and eliminate sugar from your diet right now. An unhealthy and sudden restriction on food leads to binge eating, which will cause you to experience physical, emotional, and mental turmoil.
Instead, I want you to start with incorporating healthy foods into your diet first. When cooking or plating food, center your meal around vegetables. Make sure that half of your plate is filled with veggies, and the other half should include a portion of grain, protein and healthy fats.
Even just buying a frozen bag of veggies from your grocery store that you steam for a few minutes at dinner makes all the difference. Healthy living doesn’t have to be difficult, but if you struggle with it in the beginning, that’s okay! We all struggle with it in the beginning.
Start by choosing 1 small step that you can take to incorporate more nourishing foods in your diet, like having a salad for lunch or cutting off post-dinner dessert. After you have practiced this step, then add another one. This slow, incremental way to improve your diet will ensure long-term success. You got this!