3369: Balanced Not Clean - Simple Strategies To Eat Better by Lea Genders on Healthy Eating Habits

[00:00:00] Damit aus H-H-H-H-Kein Hatschi wird! Bei beginnender Erkältung Immopret N. Jetzt in der kalten Jahreszeit darf Immopret N nicht fehlen. Mit der einzigartigen 7-Pflanzen-Kombination kann es die Erkältungsabwehr stärken, Erkältungserreger bekämpfen und den Erkältungsverlauf meldern.

[00:00:17] Wenn eine Erkältung entsteht, Immopret!

[00:00:20] Überzeug dich selbst und hol dir alle Infos auf immopret.de. Zu Risiken und Nebenwirkungen lesen Sie die Packungsbeilage und fragen Sie Ihre Ärztin, Ihren Arzt oder in Ihrer Apotheke.

[00:00:30] Before we start, please check out our new podcast, Good Sleep.

[00:00:33] Have you ever noticed how a calm mind can really set the stage for a good night's sleep?

[00:00:37] That's the idea behind our new podcast, Good Sleep.

[00:00:41] Greg, our host from Optimal Relationships Daily, is here to help ease you into a peaceful night's rest with some positive affirmations.

[00:00:48] And these affirmations aren't just comforting, they can help ease anxiety and nurture positive thoughts, setting you up for true good sleep.

[00:00:55] So press play on Good Sleep tonight because a good tomorrow starts with a good night's sleep.

[00:01:01] Just search for Good Sleep in your podcast app and be sure to pick the one from Optimal Living Daily.

[00:01:08] This is Optimal Living Daily.

[00:01:11] Balanced, not clean.

[00:01:13] Simple Strategies to Eat Better by Leah Genders of LeahGendersFitness.com

[00:01:17] And I'm Justin Malek.

[00:01:19] On Sundays, I think it's nice to share an extra episode from another podcast where we read to you.

[00:01:24] And today's comes from my brother's show, Optimal Health Daily.

[00:01:28] If you'd like more about fitness, nutrition, diet, and pretty much anything health-related,

[00:01:33] you can find and follow Optimal Health Daily wherever you get your podcasts.

[00:01:37] You can even submit your own questions and have them answered on Friday editions of the show.

[00:01:42] Plus get a copy of our workbook for free if you do that.

[00:01:45] You can send a health-related question to health at oldpodcast.com

[00:01:49] and then listen in to that show on Fridays.

[00:01:52] Again, that's Optimal Health Daily.

[00:01:54] But with that, let's get right to the bonus episode as we optimize your life.

[00:02:03] Balanced, not clean.

[00:02:04] Simple Strategies to Eat Better by Leah Genders of LeahGendersFitness.com

[00:02:11] I scrolled across this hashtag on Instagram this week and it spoke to me.

[00:02:16] Hashtag, balanced not clean.

[00:02:18] What does this mean?

[00:02:20] Balanced not clean.

[00:02:22] Eating clean has become the popular way to eat healthfully.

[00:02:26] But what does it mean to eat clean?

[00:02:28] There is no one definition of eating clean.

[00:02:32] Some will tell you that it means to eat unprocessed foods from nature.

[00:02:35] Great, we could all use a little more of that.

[00:02:38] Some will say it means to remove dairy and grains from your diet,

[00:02:41] while others claim it means you need to eliminate animal products.

[00:02:45] What does it mean to you?

[00:02:47] It's okay to have your unique definition.

[00:02:49] We are all individuals and may respond to food in different ways.

[00:02:53] You should strive to eat in a way that makes you look, feel, and perform your best.

[00:02:58] Whatever that means for you.

[00:03:00] You don't have to label it.

[00:03:01] I prefer to not view food as clean or dirty and bad or good.

[00:03:07] Yes, some foods are better for your health than others, of course.

[00:03:11] But there are also some foods that are better for celebrating birthdays.

[00:03:15] Have you ever put birthday candles on a bowl of kale?

[00:03:18] No, because that would be weird.

[00:03:20] The key to living a healthy yet sustainable lifestyle is finding the balance between what is healthy for your body and what you enjoy.

[00:03:29] Celebrations, connections with family and friends, and special occasions are also part of an overall healthy lifestyle.

[00:03:36] If you stress for days about eating a piece of pizza at your son's birthday party, that added stress isn't healthy either.

[00:03:43] I try not to have such a narrow focus on food, but to expand my thinking to include an overall healthy lifestyle, not just a healthy meal.

[00:03:53] Turning down dinners with friends or eating alone because you don't want to explain your food choices to people could be an unhealthy behavior,

[00:04:01] even if the food you're eating is healthy for your body.

[00:04:04] Try to make the best choices possible with what's available at the moment.

[00:04:09] That means if you're out to dinner with friends and grass-fed meat and organic vegetables aren't on the menu at Chick-fil-A,

[00:04:16] try to make the next reasonably best choice, even if the next best option is a fast food salad or a plain chicken sandwich.

[00:04:24] We don't have to eat perfectly, just do the best we can.

[00:04:27] Picture the most delicious but unhealthy meal you can conjure up.

[00:04:31] Go ahead.

[00:04:32] Can you smell it?

[00:04:34] Can you almost taste it?

[00:04:35] Is it from your favorite restaurant or something grandma used to make?

[00:04:40] When the meal is in front of you, you're going to eat it.

[00:04:43] Food is one of life's pleasures.

[00:04:46] Now imagine the healthiest, most ideal meal you could eat.

[00:04:50] How can you find a place in the middle between your favorite unhealthy meal and the healthiest one you can imagine?

[00:04:56] You can achieve significant results by making small changes over time.

[00:05:01] Instead of restricting, how can you make it a little bit better?

[00:05:05] Not perfect.

[00:05:07] A little bit better.

[00:05:08] If your favorite meal is a juicy cheeseburger with a side of french fries, how could you improve it?

[00:05:14] Remember, we're not throwing it away and eating salad.

[00:05:18] We're trying to find a way to have occasional room in our diets for the things we enjoy without wrecking our health or waistlines.

[00:05:25] Simple strategies to eat better.

[00:05:28] 1.

[00:05:29] You could cut the entire meal in half.

[00:05:32] Eating half of an unhealthy meal cuts the calories in two.

[00:05:36] Eat half the burger and half the fries.

[00:05:38] Sharing is caring.

[00:05:39] 2.

[00:05:40] You could make substitutions to the ingredients to make it healthier or less calorie dense.

[00:05:46] You could ask for a 100% whole wheat bun and or substitute a small salad for the fries.

[00:05:52] 3.

[00:05:53] You could remove parts of the meal that aren't as important for your enjoyment.

[00:05:57] Take away the extra cheese slice, skip the mayo, ditch the bun, or remove just the top part of the bun.

[00:06:04] 4.

[00:06:05] You could eat it as served, but eat it slowly and savor every bite.

[00:06:10] Chew each bite 20 times and stop eating when you feel about 80% full.

[00:06:15] 5.

[00:06:16] You could eat that meal, enjoy every last bite, and move on with your life guilt-free.

[00:06:22] Occasionally, that's a fine choice too.

[00:06:25] If you make healthy choices most of the time and then try to improve your less-than-healthy meals with the strategies mentioned,

[00:06:32] you'll go a long way in improving your eating habits.

[00:06:35] 5.

[00:06:36] I am certainly not suggesting that we eat unhealthy foods all the time, but instead make the best of them when we occasionally do.

[00:06:43] 6.

[00:06:44] I look at every meal and think to myself, how can I make this a little bit better?

[00:06:48] 7.

[00:06:49] Then I don't have to deprive myself of anything.

[00:06:51] 8.

[00:06:52] I make the best choices possible most of the time, and after a while, the healthy food becomes the food I want to choose.

[00:06:59] 9.

[00:06:59] The junk food loses its appeal.

[00:07:01] 10.

[00:07:02] It's a more balanced approach to healthy eating.

[00:07:04] It helps us stay sane and on track.

[00:07:07] 11.

[00:07:07] I learned a long time ago that striving for perfection is a losing battle.

[00:07:12] 12.

[00:07:12] It's better to take a moderate approach over the long term than bounce from one extreme to the other.

[00:07:18] 12.

[00:07:19] Balanced eating gives me the freedom to eat the foods I enjoy while remaining mindful.

[00:07:23] 12.

[00:07:24] I don't eat clean.

[00:07:25] I prefer to say, I eat balanced.

[00:07:28] What do you think?

[00:07:33] 12.

[00:07:33] You just listened to the post titled, Balanced Not Clean, Simple Strategies to Eat Better by Leah Genders of LeahGendersFitness.com.

[00:07:42] 13.

[00:07:43] Dr. Neil here for my commentary.

[00:07:45] 14.

[00:07:45] I appreciated Leah's balanced take on this clean eating idea.

[00:07:50] 15.

[00:07:50] There's nothing wrong with wanting to put the best, most pure substances into your body.

[00:07:55] And this is probably why someone starts to eat clean.

[00:07:59] 15.

[00:07:59] The intentions were good.

[00:08:01] 15.

[00:08:02] But if we start to overly stress about the foods we're eating and whether or not they meet these clean criteria,

[00:08:07] well then that can be counterproductive.

[00:08:10] 15.

[00:08:11] Ideally, we don't want food to add to our stress levels.

[00:08:13] We want to instead enjoy the smells, tastes, and textures of the foods we eat.

[00:08:19] As often as possible, we want dining to be a pleasurable experience.

[00:08:23] 15.

[00:08:24] But if we end up worried about whether or not the food is perfectly clean, dining will feel a lot less enjoyable and may actually add a lot of stress to our lives.

[00:08:34] 15.

[00:08:35] All right, that's it for today.

[00:08:36] I hope you're having a great Tuesday.

[00:08:38] Thank you so much for listening and I'll be back here tomorrow as usual.

[00:08:41] So I'll see you there where your optimal life awaits.

[00:08:45] 15.