it’s so nice to e-meet you
Hi — I’m Mikaela!
I’m currently on maternity leave but I love how dedicated you are already to your journey with nutrition.
I love to work with clients to find the joy in food and mealtimes, while eliminating any negative feeling surrounding them. In person, we’ll work together to identify the eating pattern that works for you and your lifestyle!
While I’m away I’ve organized some resources that you can use to get started and we’ll check in when I return on August 5th 2024.
Start Keeping A Food Journal
Keeping a food journal is a fantastic way to gain insight into your eating habits and make positive changes toward a healthier lifestyle. Whether you opt for a traditional handwritten journal or prefer the convenience of an electronic version (like myftinesspal), the key is to consistently record key details about your meals. Here’s how you can expand on the suggested categories:
- Meal Time: Note the exact time you eat each meal or snack. This can help you identify patterns in your eating schedule, such as late-night snacking or skipping meals during busy times.
- Food Choice: Record everything you eat and drink throughout the day, including snacks and beverages. Be as detailed as possible, noting specific foods and brands when applicable. This will help you become more mindful of your food choices and identify any trends or tendencies, such as frequent consumption of processed foods or excessive sugar intake.
- Portion Size: Pay attention to portion sizes and quantities of food you consume. You can estimate portions using common household measurements (like cups or tablespoons). You also can use this handy guide to serving sizes.
- Additional Notes: Consider adding a section for additional notes where you can jot down any relevant information, such as where you ate the meal (at home, in a restaurant, etc.), who you were with, and how you felt before and after eating.
there’s no such thing as good or bad food
Shift Your Eating Habits
Okay so this is the part that’s easier said than done! A great tool to help guide you while I’m away is MyPlate Plan.
Utilizing the MyPlate Plan can provide you with a structured framework to make informed decisions about your diet and identify areas where you can make positive changes. Here’s how you can incorporate it into your food journaling process:
- Understand MyPlate: Learn the MyPlate guidelines, which illustrate five food groups — fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy — providing balanced diet recommendations.
- Assess Your Diet: Compare your food journal to MyPlate recommendations to identify gaps. Note areas lacking in certain food groups.
- Identify Improvement Areas: Use MyPlate to pinpoint where you can make adjustments, like increasing vegetables or choosing lean proteins.
Set Some Goals
Setting clear goals is essential for staying on track with any changes in your life. Here’s some ways you can establish and monitor your goals effectively while I’m away:
- Set Specific Goals: Write down 2-3 measurable goals aligned with your objectives. For example, you might aim to increase your daily servings of vegetables to at least five, reduce your intake of sugary beverages to one serving per week, or cook at home for at least five dinners per week.
- Check-ins: Review your goals to monitor progress and identify challenges.
- Adjust as Needed: Be flexible and realistic in your approach, and consider breaking larger goals into smaller, more manageable steps to facilitate progress.
- Celebrate Progress: Whether it’s reaching a milestone, overcoming a challenge, or making positive changes to your eating habits, take time to recognize your efforts and reward yourself for your hard work.