The Magic of Habits.

There are actually many things you do every day, like brushing your teeth that supports good health and I bet you don't actually spend much thought around whether or not this "habit" is something good to do.

I Just Want to Feel Good!

Creating a new habit is not linear because it doesn’t follow a logical progression from A to B, so making a list of steps to take is rather pointless or at the least discouraging.

This can lead us to a place of feeling like a failure, or worse - we just give up and don’t do anything.

Instead, what if we choose to see everything that we’re doing through the lens of information that can help us to move forward in feeling better?

My suggestion is to switch up the dialogue.

• When we eat a bowl of ice cream after dinner [me] and then wake up at 2 am and struggle to fall back asleep - that’s actually good information that can be used to find a way to both enjoy a treat and get better sleep.

• In the morning, we immediately grab a cup of coffee or two without any breakfast and then struggle with sugar cravings all day long - that’s good information around how eating a protein based breakfast with a cup of coffee will keep blood sugar more stable throughout the day resulting in less spikes and cravings.

• When we eat on the run, grabbing whatever and then feel gassy and bloated throughout the day -that’s information. to help us see how eating in a rushed and stressed way increases digestive problems.

• When we use soda, coffee or sugary drinks to give us that late afternoon boost, and then we crash which requires us to do it again and again throughout the day - that’s information that remnds us of how sugary drinks & foods can give us a quick flood of energy that unfortunately doesn't last and soon we need another "hit" to keep going..

• When it’s 10am and we join everyone in eating that plate of treats. Then wonder; "why did I eat that because now I feel really bad about my decision. So now the whole day is ruined and I might as well just eat whatever". That's information that helps us to see the power of our food choices and how we can feel shame that can keep us stuck.

Using What We Know.

What would happen if we stopped ‘just doing whatever’ and actually thought about what we actually want to do?

We are bombarded daily with the false message that change happens easily and in just a few steps- then everything is wonderful!

This is so crazy, yet we jump on, hoping this will be the key to change.

I’m here to say, it’s actually the well-thought out small changes we make day in and day out that makes the biggest impact on our health outcomes.

Restore Nutrition a food first approach to health.

The changes we make are best created through the information we receive.

Every time we do something and the outcome isn’t what we’d hoped for-that’s helpful information.

Let’s look again at these examples.

• Ice cream at night = disrupted sleep.

• Coffee for breakfast = snacking all day long.

• Eating on the run = stomach and digestion problems.

• Soda, coffee, sugary drinks in the afternoon = Blood sugar issues.

• Needing something to eat a few hours after breakfast = not eating enough protein and quality fats and too many quick carbs to breakfast.

Creating New Pathways.

To be successful in making changes that become habits, we need to do it over and over again.

Every time we repeat a behavior that will help us feel better, we reinforce the connections in our brain and over time this becomes a habit - just like brushing our teeth.

At first, we are motivated and see improvements, but setbacks and plateaus are also part of the journey. When we expect this, we can override the impulse to just quit and instead see all of this as information for learning and growing.

Remember This.

1. Habit formation is hard work [as is everything that’s worth doing].

2. We need to practice doing what we are hoping to change.

3. We must build resilience and self-awareness as we practice these changes.

4. And most importantly, this journey toward habit formations grows in us a more compassionate and realistic approach to change.

I Can Help.

I really love my journey into becoming a nutrition advocate. Going back to school and digging into both the science and physiology of using food as medicine continues to inspire me.

The joy of joining others through classes or 1:1 coaching and watching them create health habits that actually make them feel better is beyond rewarding.

Here’s what I know to be true-

Everyone is unique and everything is important in helping people feel better.

I’d encourage you to reach out and talk with me about what you’d like to change.

You can find me through my website. https://www.janlindquistntp.com

Instagram: janlindquist_ntp

Thanks for reading.

Jan