It is so easy to fall victim to popularized diets that claim quick weight loss and great body transformations. Social media tricks each of us into thinking we need to look better, therefore we should eat better. Fad diets often restrict you from eating foods that contain necessary nutrients the body needs. Listening to your body over your mind is tough, but there are much easier (and safer) ways to keep your body healthy!
Fueling your body with the foods it needs is one of the easiest and most important things you can do for yourself. This means that you have to eat! Fitting the three main macros- protein, carbs, and fats- into each meal can help you feel energized and satisfied. Take it from the girl that used to eat salads for every meal; it’s not the way to go. Your body is constantly burning calories and needs to be refueled through food. If you normally have easy days, like attending classes and biking a little, try eating plates with a 2:1 ratio of veggies to carbs/protein. If you are generally an active person, try to follow up each workout with a 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein. And yes, this means you can eat more carbs than protein.
Another important rule to follow is to always eat when you are hungry. I cannot stress this enough. If your body is hungry enough to tell you about it, then you better be listening. Some healthy snacks I eat include granola bars, apples and peanut butter, yogurt/fruit/dry cereal, and hummus and carrots. Snacking can prevent fatigue and help you kick butt at whatever you are doing! There is one other tip that I want to add: memories over macros. This basically means that while it is important to keep your body healthy with good foods, it is also crucial to keep your mind healthy by eating what you feel like eating! In general, eat what makes you feel happy and strong and you will be happy and strong.