You Are What You Eat by Melanie Elkin

Every day when we wake up we have choices. We can choose to nourish our bodies first thing in the morning with nutritious foods that will sustain us, and then we can choose to continue on the “nutritious” path throughout the day. I say nutritious in quotations because of course there is always room to indulge. We also have other choices - like skipping breakfast, or reaching for foods that may not nourish our bodies and set us into a downward spiral for the rest of the day.

When I classify foods for my clients I don't approach it from a “good” or “bad” way of thinking, but rather a “nutrient dense” and “nutrient less” way of thinking. I live by the 80/20 principle - if 80 percent of the time you eat balanced meals with healthy carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, then 20 percent of the time you can splurge, because otherwise you are not living and enjoying life. Once this way of thinking becomes a habit rather than an afterthought, you will find that not only are you reaching for the more nutrient dense foods but your body actually craves them. Why is that? It takes 21 days to make a habit; once your body is in the habit of exercising regularly and eating more nutrient dense foods, the habits of reaching for the bag of potato chips or eating the double hot fudge sundae at night dissipate and it becomes second nature to reach for the banana or the hummus and carrots. Your endorphins are increased from the exercise routine you are following and your metabolism is also gearing up, which leads to a psychological switch from unhealthy patterns to healthier patterns. Here are some ways you can start switching your eating patterns today and truly be happy with the statement “you are what you eat”:

1. One of the most important things you can do to set yourself up for a healthier eating routine is trying to eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day. By breaking up your meals not only will you feel more satisfied, but it will also lead to fewer cravings because you will never get to that point of extreme hunger. When we are led to that point we often make unhealthier decisions. Each Meal should try and consist of a healthy balance of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins equating to 300-400 calories depending on body mass, gender, and Resting metabolic rate ( for more information on this you can always contact one of our elite personal trainers out of Conditioning Specialists.)

2. Start small. Set yourself one new goal a week. For example your goal for this week could be to eat breakfast every day. After a week eating breakfast everyday won't seem so hard. From there you can continue to set your goals and reward yourself each time you succeed with non-food related items, like a new pair of shoes or a pedicure.

3. Replace as many processed foods in your diet with whole natural foods. Most items that come in a box or have a list of ingredients that you cannot pronounce are those foods that you should save for your 20 percent of the time splurge.

4.Late night snacking...Eating past 8 o'clock is not a bad thing on its own, but rather it is what you eat past 8 o'clock that makes the difference. Eating high calorie, high fat foods are not the best choices to make when late night hunger strikes. Instead reach for lower calorie, nutrient dense foods, like a whole grain cereal with low fat milk or soy milk, carrots and hummus or veggie dip, lowfat greek yogurt (½ c) with fresh fruit, etc.

5. Have an accountability partner. When you start a new goal it is helpful to have someone on your team, whether it is family, friends, or a trainer, to share your goals and new lifestyle with; you would be surprised to see how willing people are to help keep you going and on track.

Thus, everything comes back to the choices we make. Remember that when good choices are made in relation to what you eat, not only are you giving your body what it thrives on, but you are also creating good habits that will last you a lifetime.