- Find a tracking method that you will use– that is most likely the simplest. You can use an app, your smartphone camera, a computer spreadsheet, a notebook or scrap paper. You can change it in the future, so don’t worry if you choose to just write it down on paper.
- What should you track? When starting out, track the times that you eat or drink anything, even if it is a sip or just a lick to taste something. Include the tic tacs too. This gives an idea about the signaling patterns your body is used to right now. Also, next to the times, you should track what it is that you eat or drink.
- Including the date and day of the week is useful because it may help you identify patterns in the future.
- Including location is also helpful if you travel or have some days eating at home and some at school or work because that clarifies where the biggest challenges will be.
- Quantities are less important, you don’t need those just yet.
- What do you do with the information? Track for at least 3 days and then review your data. See how you did by answering the questions below. You can see the goals for each of these to compare where you are.
- What is the longest time you go without eating or drinking anything other than water, black coffee or unsweet tea? That’s your fasting window.
- Your goal: Fasting window of 12 or more hours on most days. If not, you may want to work up to 12 hours.
- What time you first start eating or drinking any calories or sweetened beverages and when you last have any calories or sweetened beverages? That’s your eating window.
- Your goal: Eating window of less than 12 hours out of 24 hours. Contain your eating in 12 or less hours per day.
- Count the number of times you consume sugar in each day, even if it is only a small amount. Notice the first time in the day that you consume sugar on most days. The earlier in the day you have sugar, the less time you get to be in fat burning mode because the sugar turns off fat burning for most people, unless regularly working out or active.
- Your goal: Get the sugar consumption frequency as close to zero as possible so your body can burn fat, create more energy and your liver is protected. Also, if you are going to have anything with sugar, postpone it so you get the longest time of fat burning before you turn it off.
- Make sure you are getting enough* protein most days to maintain optimal health including muscle, hormones and immune system. There are many kinds of protein (eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, soy products like tofu and tempeh, seafood, poultry like chicken and turkey, pork, beef, lamb, legumes like chick peas, lentils, and black beans, etc.). Everyone has their favorites. That’s fine.
- Your goal: *Get 3-4 servings of proteins per day. If you are working out, older age, frail or vegan, aim for 4 servings of protein. Otherwise, you may be fine with 3 servings. You probably want to include protein every time you eat. Hint: One serving for you is about the size of your palm – think hands without fingers or thumb.
- Look for the times you drink your calories. IF you are working to lose weight, it is best not to drink your calories unless it is a savory soup or broth. That includes sweet creamers in coffee, sweet tea, smoothies, juice, soda, alcohol.
- Your goal: Limit the number of times in a week you drink your calories unless it is bone broth or other savory soup. Drink enough water so that your urine is mostly clear or a pale yellow and you have to go roughly every 3-4 hours while awake. Unsweet sparkling and flavored waters, unsweet tea and coffee are also fine. Try herbs, berries, lemon or lime or cucumbers in your water. A pinch of salt is fine too.
- Make sure you get some fermented foods to feed your gut microbiome. Eating some of these foods daily may help your digestive system, your immune system and even your mental health.
- Your goal: Consider adding fermented food like kefir, yogurt, pickles and fermented vegetables, kimchi, olives, miso, tempeh, sauerkraut, etc. to your diet on most days. You may find some favorites at your local grocery store or farmer’s market or find a subscription service like this one (I have no relationship with this company other than I order from them).
- Check to confirm you have enough plant diversity in your diet so your gut is healthy and happy with soluble and insoluble fibers and so that you get all the vitamins and minerals you need.
- Your goal: A minimum of 2 handfuls of leafy greens PLUS at least 1 handful of another vegetable daily. You can eat them any way.
- Make sure your food log include omegas 3’s in your diet as a supplement or as food. There is evidence supporting their use for heart health, enhancing and improving mental health and cognition, helping wounds heal, reducing inflammation and supporting joints and even prenatal development.
- Your goal: if you are eating fish like wild salmon (NOT farmed or Atlantic salmon), mackerel, sardines, herring, then you should be fine with 1-2 times weekly “doses.” If you are supplementing or getting a plant-based source like in chia, flax or hemp seeds and algae oil, best to take daily.
- Now you get to take make the tweaks necessary to optimize your nutrition to support your body’s best health and the weight follows as a side effect of getting metabolically healthier. With this new knowledge, continue to track and learn your patterns and where you have the greatest challenges. You can use your tracking data and work to achieve the goals listed for each item above. Rather than working on all of them at once, simplify it for easier and faster mastery by focusing on only one at a time starting at the top.
- Share your journey with a friend or group. When you have others to talk about your experiences, share recipes and favorite products and you cheer each other on, it’s super fun and a great way to bring people together around common goals no matter what else is going on in your life. Nutrition is one area you get to be in control most of the time and it directly impacts all the other things in life. Watch the weight respond over time, naturally. Watch the ripple effect. When your body feels great, you have the energy and confidence to live a fuller life! Enjoy and drop me a line.
Health Booster 