3 Health Habits of a Nutritionist That Will Change Your Life
I’m not here to tell you to start eating more salads, more protein shakes, to stop eating gluten, exercising more, or to take supplements. Those are not the things that define true health.
I get that it’s easy to get confused when we are bombarded by conflicting information from doctors and social media accounts.
3 Healthy Habits that Changed my Life
It’s no secret. Living a healthy lifestyle can feel like a pissing contest.
You feel like you’re doing pretty well for a hot minute, choosing “good” foods, following your diet and workout routine.
And then you come across that Instagram account that makes you feel like you’re not doing nearly enough to be healthy. Not even close.
Between their gluten-free vegan diet, their alternating weightlifting and Crossfit days 6 days a week, their twice-daily skincare routine with high-end products, and somehow they manage to raise 3 kids and support a happy partnership…
…you feel lucky to even get your teeth brushed some days.
And this thought takes you down a spiral of self-criticism, and pushes you to overwhelm when you think about all it takes to “be healthy.”
But I’ve got news for you…
That instagram account you follow that makes you feel like sh*t about yourself?
That person has a whole slew of health problems they aren’t sharing, both physical and emotional. Here’s some of what they’re dealing with:
adrenal glands that are suffering due to the stress from over-exercise, causing fatigue, poor sleep, hormone issues, and depression
nutrient deficiencies from the foods they restrict
high toxic burden from the heavily processed vegan foods and protein powders they consume
they are constantly hungry
they haven’t pooped in three days
they have moderate allergy symptoms nearly year round
feel pressure to keep going, no matter what
This is not healthy. And we need to ditch the pissing contest, and change the way we look at health.
I’m here to help you do that.
What Health Is Not
When people learn I am a nutritionist, they often tell me all the ways they are living and eating healthy.
I don’t ask, they just spill it.
And I don’t stop them because, not only do I fully understand what it’s like to feel insecure and need to disclaimer my behavior, but it also gives me real feedback from real people.
Here are some of the areas I see people getting confused.
WHAT HEALTH IS NOT
weight or clothing size
counting calories
restricting foods or food groups with no regard to how your body tolerates them
rigid workout routines and schedules
pushing through even when your body is telling you to stop - often viewed as “discipline” or “dedication”
changing numbers on a lab test with no regard to contributing factors (example: cholesterol-lowering medications or supplements without considering what is causing your cholesterol levels to rise)
consuming products that make health claims without considering the root cause of your symptoms (example: “heart healthy,” “stops bloat,” “increases energy,” “burns fat,” etc.)
What Health Is
I’m not here to tell you to start eating more salads, more protein shakes, to stop eating gluten, exercising more, or to take supplements. Those are not the things that define true health.
I get that it’s easy to get confused when we are bombarded by conflicting information from doctors and social media accounts.
(not to mention the comparison factor…)
If you take away one thing from this article, take this:
Your body has its own story to tell, and that story looks different for everyone.
Your body has had its own food experiences, genetic factors, environmental factors, emotional factors, all of which inform what your body needs right now.
It’s for this reason that true health cannot be defined by standardized health claims.
We must start looking at health differently if we are to make effective changes that are also sustainable.
Let’s take the blindfold off and start making changes that really matter.
The 3 Healthy Habit changes I am about to recommend, are things I personally practice on a regular basis to maintain and improve my own health (after all, I have my own health story to tell).
3 Healthy Habits to Make Healthy Easier
HEALTHY HABIT #1: Ditch the afternoon workout
The idea is not to stop working out. It’s to switch what time of day you exercise.
Here’s why.
Most of my clients present with moderate to severe adrenal dysfunction.
This type of dysfunction affects mood, blood sugar levels, sex hormones, stress handling, and energy.
Briefly put, the adrenal glands are a key factor in handling stress. They are responsible for producing and releasing cortisol, a hormone responsible for helping us to “fight” or “flee” when danger is present. Cortisol increases blood sugar levels, and increases blood flow to large muscle groups, the heart, and the lungs, in order to help us deal with the danger.
In a healthy body, cortisol spikes shortly before we wake up (called the Cortisol Awakening Response) then even more shortly after we wake in order to get us going on our day.
Cortisol then gradually declines throughout the day, getting to its lowest point at night when it’s time to sleep. Cortisol will also spike at various points throughout the day in response to stressors.
Exercise is one of those stressors, and thus, triggers the release of cortisol. This in itself, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s what our body is supposed to do.
When you choose to do your workout after lunch, after work, or after the kiddos have been put to bed and you have some time to yourself - doing so increases cortisol at a time when it should be wayyyy down.
Ever notice how you tend to feel a “second wind” at night, or consider yourself to be a “night person”?
Switching your workouts to the morning will improve sleep, mood, blood sugar levels, and ability to handle stress throughout the day.
Save the more mellow movement for the evening - a light stroll, gentle yoga, or stretching.
HEALTHY HABIT #2: Chew your food.
You may have already read my article about Leaky Gut, and if so, this idea is not new to you.
But I will shout this from the mountaintops for as long as I live:
Chewing is a foundational part of your digestive health.
What is the point of eating a nutrient-dense diet if you cannot properly break down those nutrients?
Let’s chat it out.
Your mouth is not the first step in the digestive process, but it is close. Your brain is the first.
Once you begin to prepare your food, touching it, smelling it, tasting it, your brain recognizes that it is time to eat, and, in the right environment, begins to increase blood flow to the smooth muscles in your digestive tract, release digestive enzymes, bile, and stomach acid.
This is a response from the parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) nervous system. It requires us to be in an unstressed, safe space.
When you are multitasking, at your desk working, or driving while you eat, you are activating our sympathetic (“fight or flight”) nervous system, instead.
Next step in the digestive process happens in the mouth (enter CHEWING). Chewing your food properly releases salivary enzymes needed to break down fats (salivary lipase) and sugars (salivary amylase).
Additionally, as you chew, nerves in your mouth tell your brain what types of food you are eating, so that it can prepare the proper mechanisms to break it down.
How do you know if you’re chewing enough?
This is how I explain it to my clients: If you feel the need to “wash down” your food with a beverage, you are not chewing enough. There’s no magic number. It depends on the food you’re eating.
So, next time you sit down to a meal, think about how much you’re chewing each bite.
You will even notice it improves bloating, heartburn, poops, and your relationships with those you sit down to meals with.
HEALTHY HABIT #3: Practice noticing.
This practice is going to help you re-discover intuition to your own needs, and increase productivity all at the same time.
The science has been around for a while now, that taking more breaks from tasks throughout the day actually helps improve performance and mood.
But this Healthy Habit isn’t just about increasing productivity - consider that a bonus!
I have always worn a badge of honor that I had the ability to push through and endure. “Stick with it”-ness, if you will.
In fact, I stuck with it so intensely and for so long, that my body began reacting. My nervous system was on constant high alert, and causing me to experience severe vertigo, and at unpredictable times (like while driving…).
Sticking with it, not only caused my body to react, but disconnected me from my intuition - I did not know how to recognize what my body was communicating it needed.
This was the story of my entire life until 2021, when the sh*t hit the fan.
My body did not give me an option - it was full stop. That meant leaving a job I LOVED, and getting professional help to repair my nervous system through mental health counseling and physical therapy.
I am still continuing the work, but have come a long way in reconnecting with my body’s needs, and improving my symptoms.
So, how does one “practice noticing”?
I’ll share some techniques below. I invite you to play around with this and find what works for you.
NOTICING - Foundational Exercise
Do this simple exercise 1-3 times per day to help you reconnect with your intuition and practice noticing. You may increase the time as you see fit, or stay with the starting time of 2 minutes. There’s no “right” or “wrong” way.
Sit in a comfortable position in a quiet space. Close your eyes and begin taking slow, deep breaths in and out through your nose.
Continue doing this for 2 minutes. During this time, pay attention to your breath. Notice how it sounds, how it feels, how long each breath takes you, how it feels when your belly expands. Just notice.
Your mind will wander - that’s okay! In fact, it’s the whole point of this exercise. Getting to choose what you give attention to. When your mind wanders, notice it, then bring it back to your breath.
Once you feel like this comes more easily to you, take it to the next level with the Daily Practice below.
NOTICING - Daily Practice
Set a recurring alarm or timer for once per hour.
On that timer, STOP what you’re doing and SCAN. Close your eyes, and practice noticing. The idea is to practice noticing your body’s needs, both physical and mental. Here are some examples of things to observe:
How is your body feeling?
Is there any tension, tightness, pain?
Does it feel like your body wants to move?
Do you have to pee?
Do you need a hug? Some physical touch?
Are you hungry?
Do you need to journal/write down some thoughts?
Do you need some encouragement? Does that need to come from you, or someone else?
Are you sleepy?
What sort of mood are you in?
Address your needs. This will feel counterintuitive at first, but I invite you to lean into it. Give your body what it needs in that moment, whatever it is. No judgement.
This practice will help you reconnect with your intuition. Noticing what your needs are will begin to come more easily to you (without setting any timers), and you will even begin to feel more sense of fulfillment and well-being.
This has been one of the more drastic mindset practices I’ve implemented, and the most exciting for me to see play out, for myself and for my clients.
I invite you to share your thoughts in the comments below!
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