Getting started
What I hear the most when I first start working with clients is how intimidating changing up their diet routine is, especially busy, stressed out, strapped for time moms. People generally have a feeling that taking steps toward bettering their family’s health habits is… just… too… hard. Sometimes I feel like I watch people give up before we have even gotten started! Can you relate? We want this to feel HOPEFUL not stressful. So if you are feeling overwhelmed at the thought of changing things up here is a guide on getting started! You got this, mama!
- Start small
You don’t have to buy everything on these lists all at once! Shoot, you don’t even have to buy everything! Just focus on what your family does eat right now, and then make the product swap. For example, if your little ones’ current obsession is pasta, try just switching out the noodles first! Or, if they love quesadillas, switch just the tortillas and cheese. Or just pick 3-5 product swaps for the first week (or grocery trip) …i.e.… if you were going to buy bread anyways, get the gluten free option. If you were going to purchase eggs, get the organic eggs, and next time you shop can step it up even further to the organic pasture raised eggs. You don’t have to go all in if it will set you up for failure. Make it more of a transition than a huge 180* change.
- Eliminate slowly
If familiar and easy routines are comforting for your family, and/or maybe there are some food addictions going on (I’m talking sugar or fast food here), eliminate them a little at a time before cutting them out completely if this makes you want to give up before you even start. Only allow fast food stops once a week. Only do highly processed sugar treats on weekends. You choose as the parent, what this means for your family, and eventually it will become habit. You got this. Just start phasing out. They will eventually stop asking. Or you can hire me as your family’s health coach and I can explain to them why we don’t want to eat that stuff everyday. Sometimes it helps for the kids to hear it from someone else, or the phrase, “I’m going to tell Coach Jody” usually works hahaha.
- Don’t give up when you mess up
Our bodies are an accumulation of our choices… i.e. each meal adds up to health or disease… each toxic product that you use to clean with accumulates to interrupt the body’s endocrine system or contribute to cancer. This is such an important fact to live by. Our bodies are like computers… they only deal in facts. You either feed it nutrients to heal and maintain homeostasis, or you feed it toxins that will eventually manifest as dis-ease. If you can get to a place where your kids are eating more healthy (nutrient rich, real whole foods) than highly processed, gluten filled, fake additive fortified, non-nutrient dense foods, than you’re doing good. Each meal, each snack, each product you choose at the store is a brand new chance to change and heal our body! You got this, mama!
