Nutrition: Nutrition Hacks for Fall 2020

Fall of 2020 is upon us and summer gave us a glimpse of normalcy, for the most part. But with the pandemic long from over and the days about to start getting shorter, we can’t use the excuse of Corona screwing up our eating routine anymore.

Without a doubt this time is still stressful, but we arguably have more direct control of what we intake in terms of nutrition, more than ever. When was the last time we could freshly prepare each and every one of our meals 7 days of the week?

So with that being said, let’s unpack what our biggest barriers might be?

If we see it, we eat it. This is personally my biggest challenge. The only way I won’t eat half a dozen pumpkin bagels or crush a whole (large) box of Oreos is if they aren’t in our apartment! So if you and / or your partner can game plan the exclusion of your tempting foods on the grocery list, that’s definitely a start. Honestly, you’ll be surprised at how this ought to help.

What if I’ve never meal prepped or had to cook this much, maybe ever? Totally fine, and the best strategy to incorporate is start small. I can relate if you’ve had lunch provided at work / dinner included with clients (just an example) where you’re only held responsible for planning one meal a day, breakfast. Being home more (and for some most of the day) changes the game completely. So let’s focus on this, keep owning the breakfast you’ve been incorporating and look to prepare your lunches, allowing yourself to have dinner as healthier made option. So this essentially looks like you making 5 breakfasts along with 5 lunches for the week. And opting for dinner to be something along the lines of a Sweetgreens.

Indoor dining is almost certainly back in most regions. The modified restaurant scene may have been a saving grace for some, and the fear of possibly reverting back? It’s definitely possible. But how about you place some restrictions to not only allow yourself to enjoy what most of us have missed but at the same time limit what may be a difficult nutritional factor. Although mundane, the simple eating out only on weekends has usually been one of the more effective strategies with my clients, both short and long term.

All the best foods are out in fall! I agree, I’m a sucker for these seasonal foods but one of the better approaches here is to consume what you want with what you need. What I mean by this is don’t condemn yourself from having some halloween-themed cookies during the month of October, but within reason. It’s one thing to have a couple over a lazy Sunday – but another thing entirely to inhale a dozen, every day. I encourage all my clients to have their relationship with food as more of a journey and not a time-limited allotment, as diets often are. You went a little crazy with some sweets over the weekend, or over the whole week. Ok, not ideal but let’s look move past that with setting a healthier game plan the following weekend / week.

I did want to finish off with one important note. Granted, more stress can impact the quality and duration of sleep. When we’re sleep deprived there will be higher ghrelin levels in the body, why should I be aware of this? Ghrelin is the hormone that is sending hunger signals and tells you that you are not satiated. This without a doubt may lead to less control of you fighting your temptations / indulgences. We crave those sweeter and saltier foods in those circumstances.

Bottom line is, there is never a one-size fits all method for us, unfortunately. So what I hope comes as one the biggest take home messages upon reading this is, if it works for you, keep at it!