The majority of people underestimate the importance of eating vegetables, yet the body needs them for their minerals and vitamins, as well as for the fiber that they provide, which helps the body to get rid of excess waste. Eating vegetables also reduces the risk of health-related complication such as strokes!
Many people are aware that eating fruit is important, yet they get their fruit intake from canned fruit, which are saturated in sugar, which isn’t good because fruit is already rich in natural sugars such as fructose. Eating small amounts as snacks is the best approach. Fruit juices are NOT as healthy as eating the whole fruit. If you eat the fruit whole you get the fibre, just juicing it means you don’t get the fibre and you get a bunch of the sugar instead!
Meats can get a bad rep, but they are perfectly fine to have in your diet. Try for leaner cuts, and things like turkey, chicken and especially fish are very healthy sources of animal protein; just make sure to consume meat that has been processed in a healthy, conventional meat processing environment. The main purpose of the “meat” in your diet is to take in enough protein but remember there are many delicious sources of plant based protein too!
AVOID PROCESSED FOODS. In general, processed foods are favored by most people because of their low prices and the convenience they offer, but eating them is just about the most dangerous food-related choice that you can make even if you are slim and healthy now.
There are affordable options in every grocery store to maintain a healthy diet, but if things are really tight, check your city for some of the healthy group buying programs available through non profits or community associations. In Regina you can purchase the Good Food Box or Frozen Meals from an organization called REACH. I have used the Good Food Box services when I had younger children and a crazy busy schedule, and the Frozen Meals service was also great when family members had surgery and I wanted to ensure they had healthy quick meals they could just cook and eat for convenience!
There is also a service called the Family Basket service that is available where box of healthy food sold at the lowest cost possible available at several pickup locations or delivered to your home. This program is available to people accessing Saskatchewan Income Support and Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability.
Some individuals may qualify to have the payment taken directly off their social assistance cheque.
We also have places in the community like the Food 4 Life store (located near the Regina General Hospital) that have a variety of items varying each week for amazing prices.
See Sample Menu at Food 4 Life store to the right! I have shopped at this store many times over the years. Lots of great healthy options for seasonal fruit and vegetables and some inexpensive staples lie bread, milk, meat etc! The meat is purchased from local butcher. As well, there are special items available around holidays like Easter, Christmas & Thanksgiving!
Needless to say, the most important part of maintaining a healthy diet, even on a tight budget is eating whole foods wherever possible and IF you must have processed/packaged food, learning to understand food labels and the sneaky names for sugar – before you shop!
What can you do next?
In my health coaching practice, I can help clients discover what triggers them to overeat or binge eat. I can help you determine some of the unhealthy habits you have and work to learn new habits and small lifestyle changes that can make all the difference.
With the right system, support and accountability, a person can maintain these new, healthy habits for a lifetime. I can lead them through a step-by-step process to learn how to eat and live, mindfully and to learn things like understanding food labels. In fact, I have studied advanced nutrition protocols in the area of weight loss, diabetes and heart health, that are the foundation to my 90 Day Total Transformation Program.
If you answered would like more information on healthy eating, healthy recipes, gut health, or balancing your blood sugar, just to name a few, then contact me now to find out more!
I’ll help you get started on the path to a happier, healthier version of you!
To your health!
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