Switching to healthier eating has paid off for me as I’m unquestionably healthier and in better shape at 42 than I was at 22.
Waking up blind in my right eye two weeks before my thirtieth birthday and a subsequent diagnosis of multiple sclerosis inspired me to give some serious thought to my health. Now, as a naturopathic doctor (ND) and holistic nutritionist, I love helping people become healthier through better eating.
Here are 5 ways that I changed my eating habits from a lifestyle of fast food, Crystal Light, and gummi bears to a healthier one:
1. Drink tea instead of soda or artificially flavored drinks. Green, black, and even my current fave, rooibos, are loaded with antioxidents and give satisfying flavor without all the calories, sweeteners, and chemicals.
2. Snack on nuts and seeds rather than chips and candy. I keep cookie jars filled with pistachios, almonds, cashews, and sunflower seeds on my kitchen counters for easy access when I need to munch.
3. Cook at home more frequently. Considering that I never cooked in my twenties, this was a monumental change. It became easier after I figured out the “Glorious One-Pot Meal” infusion cooking method, which lets me layer whole foods into one pot for quick, easy, and tasty dinners in about 15 minutes.
4. Switch to sea salt. Unlike regular mined table salt, sea salt contains up to 80 nutrients and trace minerals that our bodies can use to be healthier.
5. Grab a piece of fruit for snacking on the run. You can often spot me chewing on an apple or a banana in my car on the way to pick up my kid’s carpool. Better than a candy bar, fruit will fill me up and sustain me without that sugar crash.
