today’s TOPIC
RESOLUTION We will eat better in the New Year BY » Peter Eisenhauer
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o we have celebrated the holidays and ushered in the New Year. We have feasted, we have indulged, and now we may find our clothes fitting a little more snugly than they did in the past. Maybe we need to make a diet-related New Year’s Resolution? Even without an expanding waist-line, there are a lot of reasons to consider the way we eat as we look to optimize our health and happiness. On the other hand, we have been through this before, and sometimes our resolve melts away weeks before we even see a Valentine’s Day chocolate fountain. To get some tips on how to make positive changes in our eating habits, and how to make them stick, we spoke with Mary Boccardo, a Registered Dietitian with over 20 years of experience. 10 LimitlessMagOnline.com | January 2022
What are the best ways you have found for people to stick with new eating habits? Don’t attempt a complete overhaul of your eating...it took many years to develop your current habits and they can’t all be changed overnight. Instead, think of one or two small changes you can master. For example, make it your mission to have a fruit or vegetable serving at every meal, or begin paying attention to portion control and serving sizes when choosing your foods. Certain foods may be “trigger foods” which you are unable to stop eating once you start. For trigger foods, it is best to eliminate them from your environment: Don’t keep them in the house (a freezer full of Girl Scout cookies can be hard to resist!). Controlling what you buy
and keep in the house to eat is just as important as how and when you eat. What are some misconceptions people might have about dieting and health? Healthy food doesn’t have to be expensive or take a long time to prepare, and it actually tastes good! Today’s grocery stores are filled with pre-cut fresh and frozen fruits and veggies, whole grains, healthy proteins, and dairy/dairy substitutes. There are dozens of healthy frozen meals on the market that are simple to reheat. If you choose healthy foods most of the time, there is always room for your favorite foods in moderation. You never have to completely eliminate a certain food, because moderation is the key.
