So it’s been a stressful week (or weeks, looking at you, holiday season) and your regular eating habits are out of whack. You have been choosing foods that are not aligned with your body’s needs and signals. The result? Brain fog, low energy, painful swelling, weakened immune system, or just a general feeling of blah. First, take a deep breath. It’s okay, we are cyclical beings and our eating habits are also cyclical in nature. But you don’t have to let a couple of grab-and-go meals or a holiday season of eggnog and cookies turn into an extended period of eating foods that don’t make your body feel its best.
While there’s no single definition of “healthy,” there are simple, sustainable ways to develop a good-for-you diet (without actually going on a diet). I asked Kimberly Snyder, nutritionist, spiritual and meditation teacher, and author of You are more than you think you are to tell us her secrets on how to feel and look your best. With a clientele that reads like an invitation to an A-list party (Reese Witherspoon, Drew Barrymore, and Channing Tatum, if we’re going to mention names), consider her the Hollywood nutritionist—and now yours. Read on for the healthy eating tips she lives by.
famous nutritionist
Kimberly Snyder is a three-time New York Times bestselling author, spiritual and meditation teacher, nutritionist, and wellness expert. She is also the founder of Solluna®, a holistic lifestyle brand, and the host of the top-rated Feel Good podcast. Snyder has been featured in many national news outlets, including Good Morning America, The Today Show, and The New York Times.
1. Start the day with hot water with lemon
The Ayurvedic practice of drinking hot lemon water in the morning has long been touted for its health benefits (think: getting things moving), and for good reason. “This simple practice helps you hydrate in the morning, promotes excellent digestion, and can help your liver, your main detoxification organ, it’s like drinking in the sun!” Snyder remarked. “Packed with vitamin C, it’s also a great way to support glowing skin.” So before you sip your morning cup of coffee or bite into your breakfast, wake up and hydrate your body with the citrus-enriched beverage. Bonus points: You’ll get a head start on hitting your hydration goal for the day, and you’ll be more mindful about staying hydrated throughout the day by drinking the concoction first thing in the morning. It’s a simple addition to your morning routine that your digestive and immune systems will thank you for. You may also notice a shine on your skin.
2. Stick with the plant-based diet
We all know that a complete and nutritious diet includes piling on vegetables. But instead of focusing on cutting out his favorite foods, Snyder encouraged him to focus on eating more plants. What would you find in Snyder’s fridge? Kale, spinach, microgreens, sprouts, apples, carrots, bananas, and walnuts. “My mornings always include a bright green smoothie, made with three cups of leafy greens, celery, banana, pear, apple, and lemon juice,” Snyder described. “This shake has 9 to 11 grams of fiber, which is key to stabilizing blood sugar and preventing the body from craving sugary foods later on. This, along with giving us incredible amounts of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, all work together and lead us to be more in tune with nature and make better choices throughout the day.”
Not a fan of a cold soda in the morning? Sip Snyder’s Signature Beverage at room temperature or just be sure to check off the items at every meal. Not only will they fill you up with fiber and micronutrients, but they’ll also keep your body satiated and your blood sugar levels stable (read: a boost in energy and mood).
3. Meditate constantly
Fueling our bodies physically through nutrition and movement is important, but the other piece of the wellness puzzle is giving our mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being some much-needed TLC. Enter: meditation. “This is the most important practice of all, in my opinion, that has radically transformed my health, clarity, inner peace, intuition, and abundance,” Snyder said. “When we connect with our true selves, we stay more focused throughout the day and can be clearer and more energized. You’ll know when you’re really hungry and you’ll be better equipped to deal with emotions instead of giving in to food cravings.” In other words, by connecting with yourself through meditation, you will bring awareness to the present, feel calmer, and be more in tune with your body’s signals.
Let go of any perception that you have to meditate for an extended period of time to reap the benefits. Even a one-minute meditation can flip the wellness switch. Lean into Snyder’s guided meditations, download a meditation app that speaks to you, or practice focused breathing.
4. Take the right kind of probiotics
If I had to pick the wellness buzzword these days, it would be gut health. After all, it is the key to your physical and mental health. And that inside-out glow we all crave? You can thank (or blame) your gut microbiome. Of course, the holy grail for keeping gut health in check is eating a healthy diet, but adding high-quality probiotics to your regimen can also do wonders for healing your gut or keeping you happy.
According to Snyder, the word “probiotic” combines two Greek words: “pro,” which means promotion of, and “biotic,” which means life. The name says it all! “Probiotics have been shown to strengthen your immune system, improve digestion, promote weight loss, and even protect you from certain ailments and diseases,” Snyder emphasized. Additionally, according to Harvard Health Publishing, probiotics can help restore balance when the gut becomes unbalanced with unhealthy levels of certain bacteria, due to unhealthy eating, stress, lack of sleep, etc.
When researching the best probiotic for you, consider the types of bacterial strains used, which strains and/or brands have been studied for efficacy, and how the probiotics should be stored. As a general rule of thumb, Snyder recommended looking for a formula that contains strains of soil-based organisms (SBOs), like their Solluna Feel Good SBO Probiotics+. “What doesn’t make a formula effective or not is the culture that counts,” Snyder relayed. “Many brands can add billions of cultures into a marketing formula, but they are destroyed before they reach your gut and are not in the proper proportions or composition you need for a healthy, balanced microbiome. It’s not about numbers, it’s about efficiency.” When in doubt, stick to probiotic-rich foods like kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, pickles, miso, tempeh, kimchi, and sourdough bread.
5. Control your body’s response to dairy
According to Snyder, many people are intolerant or sensitive to dairy, but have not been diagnosed; a whopping 65% of the human population is lactose intolerant. “Even for those who aren’t entirely lactose ‘intolerant’, dairy products can be a major trigger for irritable bowel syndrome, among other digestive conditions, such as chronic constipation,” she explained. If you’re part of the 65% and are lactose intolerant, your body can’t fully digest the lactose in milk, causing symptoms ranging from gas and bloating to abdominal pain and diarrhea after consuming dairy products.
Snyder suggested looking for plant-based sources of calcium, such as leafy greens, tahini and sesame seeds, and eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds to fill in the gaps in your diet where dairy plays a role. Thanks to the many plant-based alternatives to milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, you name it, at our disposal, it’s never been easier (or tastier) to go dairy-free.
Healthier swaps for all your favorite snacks (that still taste amazing!)
Source: news.google.com