Mindset tip of the day:
When transitioning to healthy/clean/whole/better eating (whatever you want to call it!), I encourage you to think about all the foods that are nutritious that make you drool just thinking about them. Make a list somewhere.
For me, it’s sliced cucumber with lime juice and chili lime seasoning (pictured). It’s a juicy garden tomato drizzled in balsamic vinegar and olive oil with salt, pepper and basil. It’s garlicky roasted mushrooms. Marinated chicken on a charcoal grill. Fresh-made guac with sliced veggies for dipping. Watermelon salad with arugula, mint and crumbled feta. A juicy, medium rare grass-fed steak. warm veggie soup in the winter. My apple ginger green smoothie. Air fried wings in my thenewprimal sauce. Anything Greek or Mediterranean. Fresh lemon juice squeezed on flaky fish. PICKLES. A cold crisp seltzer with a splash of juice. I could go on…
Too often we associate positive feelings with “unhealthy” eating and negative feelings with “healthy” eating. This creates a mindset of restriction and deprivation when we transition to eating well. Rather than fixating on what we “can’t” or “shouldn’t” eat, shift your mindset to revel in all the delicious, healthy foods you “get” to eat. This helps you realize that you still get to indulge in foods that you genuinely enjoy, that are also good to your body. That doesn’t mean you never indulge in the doughnuts or mac and cheese. (I had a burger and fries last night). It just means that you are actively working to create positive associations and build up your reward centers to acknowledge the healthy foods that you love in your life.
To practice this mindset shift, I encourage you to catch “I can’t eat _,” thoughts and replace them with “I get to eat __” affirmations.
What healthy foods make you drool?! Answer in the comments or in the poll in my story!
