When I’m feeling stressed and overwhelmed, my health-related habits are the first ones to take a beating.

Add some chaos to an already full schedule, and suddenly my sleep habits start to suffer, my eating habits become far less than ideal, and my fitness routine all but goes out the window.

All of the things that I KNOW are the most important for managing stress and recovering from overwhelm: these become the very things that I inevitably sacrifice.

Every single time.

And this past week has been no exception.

So this weekend I decided to take a good hard took at my habits, and see what needed fixing. And lately it’s been my eating habits.

I’ve had so much on my figurative plate these days that I haven’t slowed down enough to pay attention to what’s on my actual plate.

So that’s where I decided to start.

To help me with this, I’m going through all of the lessons of the Nutrition Makeover course I created for you. And yes, I do take my own courses. Lol. I have taken this one before. But now is definitely a good time for a refresher.

And as I’ve been going through the course, I’m struck again by the simplicity of it all. Really, improving our diet and our eating habits is not complicated. We do not need to rely on fancy formulae or complicated food math or any particular way of eating. The most important part of it is, in fact, HOW we eat.

Here are the 10 steps I teach you in the course:

  1. Make time
  2. Take action
  3. Eat slowly
  4. Stop eating at an appropriate fullness level
  5. Eat lean protein
  6. Eat colourful fruits and/or vegetables
  7. Eat smart carbs
  8. Eat healthy fats
  9. Plan balanced meals
  10. Drink enough water

And now I want you to pay attention to the first 4 steps:

  1. Make time
  2. Take action
  3. Eat slowly
  4. Stop eating at an appropriate fullness level

These steps, of making time for your health and eating, of not simply learning about nutrition, but actually TAKING ACTION, of eating slowly and paying attention, and of stopping when we’re full: these 4 steps make everything else possible. These are the FOUNDATIONAL STEPS for improving your diet and your eating habits, no matter your food choices or preferences.

So these 4 steps are the ones I am working on right now.

Making time for my health.

Getting off my butt and taking action.

Paying attention while eating, and eating slowly.

And finally, stopping my meal when I’m feeling satisfied.

My life feels really overwhelming right now, so I’m not going to beat myself up over the other 6 steps. I’m just going to focus on this foundation. Once I get the first 4 back under control, I’ll revisit the rest.

Simple as it is, this is powerful stuff. Carving out time for eating, taking my time while eating, and paying attention to that eating experience from start to finish: all of this speaks volumes about my willingness to prioritize my health and well-being.

By practising these simple steps, I am telling myself: “Look, Sabrina. Your health matters. Feeling good in your body matters. And you matter.”

And by taking steps to show that I matter, everything else I’m currently struggling with will become far, far simpler.

Recommended Resources

Nutrition Makeover: 10 Steps for Better Eating Habits and a Healthier Diet

Build the foundation of a healthy diet through habits that are realistic and sustainable. No restriction or calorie counting!

Mobility Course Bundle

6 courses to help you improve mobility throughout your kinetic chain. Awesome for improving posture, balance, and stances for karate, and generating more power in your techniques!

Check out some of my articles on nutrition and health:

You’re reading 10 Simple Steps to Improve Your Eating Habits & Your Diet by Sabrina Bliem, originally posted on The Karate Shrimp. If you’ve enjoyed this post, be sure to follow The Karate Shrimp on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

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