Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.

PROJECT OF THE WEEK

Eat Real Food

I am a fan of science, yet find it incredibly frustrating how confusing the studies are about nutrition and how best to fuel our bodies. What all research seems to agree on, however, is that what we eat has a profound effect on our health and well-being.

The Science seems to be clear about the health benefits of eating Real Food, Prioritizing Real Food, getting quality sleep and weight training has a positive impact on our overall health.

Real Foods are essentially any foods that are found in their most natural state. Including:

Fruits and Vegetables
Meat, Poultry & Seafood
Eggs
Nuts and Seeds
Olive Oil & Coconut Oil

What is not Real Food?

Foods with added sugar
Foods with flour
Packaged food

When you are grocery shopping, you will find most Real Food along the perimeter of the store.

Getting Started

How can I incorporate more Real Food into my everyday life?

It may be worthwhile to take an inventory of the food you and your family are eating throughout the week and figure out what percentage is Real Food and what percentage is not. Knowledge is power and this step alone may be all you need to start adjusting your grocery list.

If you are not sure what ingredients are in the food you are eating, take a few minutes to read the nutritional label. Do you recognize all the ingredients? Is sugar or flour listed in the first five ingredients? Let’s be honest - can you even pronounce all the ingredients?

I recommend creating an intentional strategy regarding which foods are visible and easily accessible to you and your family. You will want your Real Food to be clean, cut, and ready to grab, while other foods are stored away, out of sight.

What might this look like?

Storing a fruit bowl on the counter.
Having cut veggies in the fridge and immediately visible when you open the door.
Having single-serving size snacks available for you and your kids to grab:

Nuts
Apple slices with peanut butter
Cut up peppers with hummus
Carrot "chips" with a Real Foods based dip
Beef Sticks with minimal additives

As you and your family transition to more Real Foods, you may find it helpful to have fewer processed foods in the house. There is a lot of truth to the saying, “out of sight, out of mind”.

Happy Spaces Tips & Tricks

One strategy for transitioning kids to more Real Foods, without taking away any processed foods, is to let things take their natural course. Add in more and more Real Foods and over time, kids and parents alike are more apt to choose those foods over other options. You can also use real foods to create what we typically recognize as processed foods, including cookies and other baked goods.

Additional Thoughts:

There is growing evidence that a high-protein, low-sugar, no-additive diet is best for minimizing the negative symptoms of ADHD.

When working with students, we talk a lot about the importance of making sure all meals and snacks include protein. If you are hungry, you aren't going to be able to focus well. Having healthy snacks available is a smart work strategy.

If you are struggling with your mental health or have an autoimmune condition, you may also want to look into the Carnivore Diet. The science around this is worth noting.

Additional Resources

I love a 30-Day Challenge. I feel like it's a relatively short period of time, but does seem to be long enough to determine if something is having a positive impact.

If you want to jump-start your journey into eating Real Food, you may want to look into the Whole 30 Challenge! If you try it, I would love to hear how you think it's impacted your health, concentration, and your life.

Feeling Overwhelmed?

We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!

get started

A Note from Happy Spaces

The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:

Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.

We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.

Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®

Sincerely,

Sarah Weingarten

Meet Sarah

Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.

Eat Real Food