Jump-Start Guide to a Life Full of Zest |
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Jump-Start Guide to a Life 20 Ways to Jump Start Your Health 1. Ditch the Diet: if diets worked, we wouldn’t have obesity epidemics. Ditch the false belief in quick fixes and instead focus on gradual, long-term lifestyle improvements. 2.Embrace Plant-Based: make the shift towards eating more foods of plant origin. Avoid foods of animal origin. 3.Add, Add, Add: when making this shift, think of foods and ingredients you are adding as options to your overall intake, instead of focusing on what you are taking away. 4.80/20 or 90/10: a balance between good and good for you. Eating well 90% of the time, and giving yourself permission to eat treat foods 10% of the time allows for a healthy mindset and sustainable practice. 5. Eat In Company: when possible, eat in the company of others and not alone (if alone, avoid distractions such as TV/computer). 6. Stay hydrated: carry a small BPA free water bottle with you at all times and continually sip throughout the day. Flavour your water with fruit, drink teas, enjoy plant-milk lattes and soups, and enjoy fresh fruits as snacks or as after-meal desserts to increase your fluid intake. 7. Increase Fiber: luckily, the plant-based lifestyle already boosts fiber. It is found in vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, lentils, seeds, and nuts. Make sure to drink enough water so the fiber can help to keep you regular. 8. Whole Foods: when possible, limit eating foods that are bagged, boxed, or canned. There are exceptions to this, including bagged/boxed/ canned items that contain whole-food ingredients only, such as bagged frozen peas, boxed steel cut oats, and canned pure tomato sauce or beans. Ditch foods that include artificial anything, including artificial sweeteners, preservatives, fillers, colours, etc. 9. Oils/Fats: limit added oils, such as coconut, sunflower, olive, and vegetable oils; but don’t be afraid of fat. Aim for whole-food sources of fats over oils when possible, such as olives, avocados, coconut meat and canned coconut milk, nuts and nut butters (peanut butter, almond butter), seeds and seed butters (tahini = sesame seed butter). 10.Omega Fats: include ground flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and/or hemp seeds daily for your omega. Omega supplements are generally not needed. [1] 11.Supplements: If following a vegan lifestyle, a Vitamin B12 supplement is recommended. Living in a colder climate during fall and winter months? Vitamin D is recommended also. For exact amounts, see your doctor or dietitian, or schedule a one-on-one nutrition counselling session on the Pick Up Limes website. Otherwise, supplements are generally not needed. 12.Choose Organic: it’s true that purchasing all foods organic can get expensive. If possible, aim to purchase foods organically if they are from the Dirty Dozen list - this is a list of food that are most heavily affected by pesticide use. 13.Batch Prep: meal prep one per day week (or two days if possible). Batch cook grains for the week, chop vegetables, portion snacks, make a large enough meal to freeze extras for leftovers to enjoy later. Meal planning two meals in advance helps with this. 14.Grocery List: keep a grocery list on-hand so trips to the store are less daunting. When you notice an ingredient running low, get in the habit of adding this to your list. Running low on fresh produce is often what leads us to reach for convenience foods instead. Stick to the grocery list when at the store, but allow for one or two impulse purchases. See below for printable lists you can post on your fridge. 15.Meat Alternatives: Gradually introduce more meat alternatives to your meals and snacks. This includes beans, lentils, hummus, tofu, soy-based meat replacements, seeds and seed butters, as well as nuts and nut butters. Gradual introduction of beans and lentils helps avoid the associated bloating that may result. Start with adding a a couple spoons a day, then after a week increase to a quarter cup, and so on. 16.Dairy Alternatives: aim for at least 2 servings of dairy alternatives per day. One serving is about 1 cup (240 mL). Plant-based alternatives include milks and yogurts made from soy, almond, rice, oats, and coconuts. Check the label to make sure they are fortified with calcium (~100mg calcium per 100mL plant-based milk or 100g plant-based yogurt). 17.Limit refined sugars: as mentioned with oils, limit the refined foods when possible. Allow for it sometimes, in keeping with the 80/20 or 90/10 guideline mentioned above. Instead, sweeten with whole-food ingredients such as dates, dried fruit, and fresh fruit. Avoid artificial sweeteners entirely. 18.Befriend Frozen: frozen fruits, vegetables, and grains, such as bread, ensure ingredients are on hand for quick meal preparation. Keep ripe, peeled, and frozen bananas in the freezer at all times to make smoothies, to add to oatmeal, or to blend into a sweet banana-sorbet dessert. Freeze ripe fruit that won’t be eaten before it spoils. Store leftover soups in the freezer to enjoy later. 19.Sleep It Off: lack of sleep poorly affects decision-making and alters metabolism. Aim for no less than 6 hours a night, ideally 8 hours. 20.Sweat It Out: it's not only about the food. Regular activity is key to mental health and helps with making better choices. Starting with 5 minutes a day is better than no minutes a day. Sitting for most of the day? Sitting is the new smoking. Try to get up at least once every hour to get the blood circulating, even if for a moment. Grab some water, step outside for some fresh air, or simply stretch your arms and legs. [2] Grocery List: Comprehensive Fresh Vegetables Meat Alternatives Pantry Spices Asparagus Almond butter Applesauce Allspice Beetroot Beans • Type: _______________ Artichoke hearts Bay leaves Bell peppers Chia seeds Bouillon cubes, vegetable or mushroom Basil Bok choy Chickpeas Dried coconut, flakes or shredded Black pepper Broccoli Commercial meat analogue (mock meat) Dried fruit • Type: _______________ Cardamom pods Brussels sprouts Edamame Dry beans • Type: _______________ Cajun Cabbage • Type: _______________ Falafel Dry lentils • Type: _______________ Cayenne pepper Carrots Flax seeds, ground Kimchi Chili powder Cauliflower Garden burgers, egg- and dairy-free Nori sheets Cinnamon, ground and sticks Celery Hemp hearts Nutritional yeast Cloves Coriander/cilantro Hummus Oils (coconut, olive, sesame, vegetable) Coriander, ground and whole Corn Lentils • Type: _______________ Olives • Type: _______________ Cumin, ground and whole Cucumbers Nuts • Type: _______________ Pasta/marinara/tomato sauce Curry powder Eggplant Peanut butter Pizza sauce Dill Garlic Peas Pickles Fennel seeds Ginger Seeds (poppy, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower) Rice paper Fenugreek seeds Green beans Seitan Sauerkraut Garam masala Herbs, fresh • Type: ______________ Tahini Sun-dried tomatoes Garlic powder Jalapeño peppers Tempeh Vinegars (apple cider, balsamic, rice, white) Ginger, ground Kale Tofu • Type: _______________ Italian mix Leafy greens • Type: ______________ Mint Leeks Nutmeg, ground Mushrooms • Type: _______________ Canned Goods Onion powder Onions • Type: _______________ Dairy Alternatives Beans • Type: _______________ Oregano Parsley Non-dairy milk (almond, coconut, rice, soy)* Coconut milk , whole- or low-fat Paprika Potatoes • Type: _______________ Non-diary yogurt (almond, coconut, soy)* Corn Pumpkin pie spice Radishes Red pepper flakes Lentils • Type: _______________ Spinach Peas Rosemary Sprouts • Type: _______________ Pumpkin Sage Squash • Type: _______________ Grains Tomatoes, whole or diced Saffron Tomatoes Tomato paste Salt (iodized) Yams • Type: _______________ Barley Star anise Bread • Type: _______________ Zucchini Tarragon Buckwheat Couscous Turmeric, ground Thyme Crackers Baking Goods Quinoa Agave syrup Fresh Fruit Millet Baking soda Apples • Type: _______________ Noodles (buckwheat, rice, soba, vermicelli) Baking powder Avocados Pasta • Type: _______________ Chocolate, dairy-free Kitchen Supplies Bananas Popcorn kernels Cocoa powder, unsweetened Aluminum foil Berries • Type: _______________ Baking/parchment paper Rice • Type: _______________ Flour • Type: _______________ Figs Rice cakes Maple syrup Cling wrap Grapefruits Rolled oats Sugar (brown, cane, coconut, white) Dish cloths Grapes Steel-cut oats Vanilla extract Dish soap Kiwis Tortillas or taco shells Yeast Dish sponges/scrubbers Lemons Garbage bags Limes Paper towels Mangoes Toothpicks Melons • Type: _______________ Condiments Beverages Wax paper Nectarines Coconut water Zipper bags (freezer, sandwich) Oranges BBQ sauce Chutney • Type: _______________ Coffee • Type: _______________ Papayas Hot sauce • Type: _______________ Juice • Type: _______________ Peaches Hoisin sauce Kombucha Pears Personal Care Jam/jelly/preserves Sparkling water Pineapples Tea • Type: _______________ Vitamin B12 Plums Ketchup Lemon/lime juice Vitamin D Miso paste Impulse purchase #1 Mustard Impulse purchase #2 Relish Snacks Frozen Foods Salad dressing, dairy-free, egg-free Baby carrots Dairy-free ice cream/sorbets Salsa Crackers/pretzels Frozen fruits • Type: _______________ Soy sauce, low sodium, or tamari (if GF) Dried fruit Notes Frozen veggies • Type: _____________ Granola bars, dairy-free ____________________________ Gum ____________________________ Nuts/seeds ____________________________ Popcorn * Look for calcium-fortified dairy Potato/corn chips ____________________________ Rice cakes ____________________________ alternatives (check the label) [3] Grocery List: ESSENTIALS Fresh Vegetables Meat Alternatives Pantry Spices Bell peppers Almond butter