So you want to eat healthy but some strong objections keep popping into your mind. It may be time for a fact check. From what I’ve experienced in 18 years of coaching, here are the major objections and how I respond to them:
1, I don’t have the time
Preparing simple whole foods is pretty fast. Actually faster than preparing, let’s say, a Lean Cuisine, which is a factory food. You wash and steam a head of broccoli in less than 10 minutes while a piece of fish is baking at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, and you pull out your whole grains that you prepared over the weekend. Voila! Less than the 35 minutes it takes to heat up a frozen mac and cheese dinner.
2. i don’t have the money to buy high quality food
That idea came from advertisers who want you to buy processed foods. They know if you eat them you will still be hungry and you’ll buy snacks to fill the nutrition void.
Try this experiment: take any junk food or processed food (food with many ingredients and comes in a box) out of your shopping cart and see what your simple fresh foods really cost. You have the money for them, and your body will thank you for buying them .
3. It’s only me
Whaaat?? Does that mean your nutrition doesn’t matter? Of course it does, and in some ways even more so than if you were partnered or still feelding a family. If it’s “only” you, that means you must rely on yourself in your older years. Wouldn’t it make more sense for you to really take care of yourself and feed yourself well? You are just as important as any guest at your table, and I doubt you would serve your guests a bag of popcorn or cheese and crackers for dinner. Don’t do it to yourself.
4. I hate to cook
It’s an interesting phenomenon, but did you know that cooing shows are among the most viewedTV fare today? It tells me there is a longing to return to the kitchen. Don’t do it in a passive way by simply watching; that puts nothing on the table. Freshen up your own skills. Take a cooking class at your local grocery store or culinary school. Buy a good 7” santuko knife and chop away on those vegetables. Get a piece of wild salmon and dress it with lemon herbs and slivered almonds. Savor the aromas as you cook and reconnect with the essence of your vitality. My book, Food Becomes You has an entire chapter dedicated to getting back to the kitchen if you’ve been away from it for awhile. Like everything in life, we develop habits and get into ruts that can be changed once we find a reason to do so. Renewing the pleasure that comes from returning to simple home cooked meals will be well worth it.
So what will you make for dinner tonight? Write your comments below.