Our bodies are the vehicle that takes us through life. The health of our body determines our energy, how we face our day and our what we accomplish. How we nourish our body (a.k.a. what we eat) has a huge impact on our health. Healthy eating is key to better health and in my opinion a better life!

Does eating healthy seem overwhelming? It doesn’t have to be. While there’s a lot of information (and misinformation) out there, keeping it simple is best. Start small, and then figure out what works best for your lifestyle.

Start with these simple tips to nourish your body and improve your health!

Focus on the positive. Often times when we decide to take action aimed at improving our health, the first things that come to mind are cutting this and limiting that. Diet culture has many of us focusing on restriction. Instead of focusing on the negative and the “bad,” I would challenge you to shift your focus to the positive. Prioritize eating healthy. Adding in and fueling with health promoting and energy giving foods such as vegetables, quality protein and healthy fats. When we focus on adding we tend to crave less and effortlessly crowd out choices that may not be serving us.

Plan ahead. Life is busy. The world we live in is fast paced and that can leave us running from one thing to the next. What and when we eat ends up low on our list and we get caught in a cycle of crashing and grabbing what is closest not necessarily helpful. This is a common problem I witness with clients and have experienced myself. However, taking time to plan and prep can set us up for success. Plan in fact can help us reduce stress and improve our performance. Scheduling in time for meals should be a top priority when setting your calendar. Speaking from experience, when it comes to what to eat, I know traditional meal planning isn’t for everyone. Planning can look different based on your needs. You may want to shop to have healthy options on hand and grab as you go, you may want to cook enough at meal time to have leftovers for lunch at work, or pick 1-2 days a week where you make one extra item to set yourself up for success!

Choose whole foods more often. The closer to nature food is, the more nutrients it naturally contains and the better it is for your health. Packaged and convenience foods are more processed which can lead to loss of health promoting nutrients. Avoiding pre-packaged, convenience foods is one way to ensure you’re eating foods in the most natural and nutrient dense state. For example, fresh vegetables and fruits are best, but frozen food is a close second when it comes to nutritional value. Check out local farmer’s markets for quality sources of meat and more.

Embrace balance. “Perfection is the enemy of progress” – Winston Churchill. This is true! Holding ourselves to perfection is a recipe for burnout and disappointment. Instead of the “all-or-nothing” mindset, I suggest the “all-or-something” mindset. This mindset embraces the concept of balance and encourages choosing good, better, and best. Ideally, we would always do our best, but social, economical and life status can get in the way. Ditch the impossible standard and start where you can while aiming for better and just watch what you can do!

Are you ready to take action and improve your health?! Don’t wait! Start today with these simple steps. You will be surprised at just much better you will feel!