DIY - Healthy Eating
Nutrition
Summary
Do-it-Yourself (DIY) Healthy Eating is all about taking the basic food groups and understanding what a portion is, and what your body needs. I do not believe in dieting because no matter what our bodies need to be fed. What I do believe is that it takes us to be present and aware of what we are eating to make sure it is serving its intended purpose, to nourish the body. I have taken out the leg work for you, and have researched and lived the theory for over 33 years. The best part about the program is that if you are like me and like doing things on your own, you will have all the tools you need to create the ideal healthy eating system for you. Oftentimes creating a healthy eating program requires time that we often do not have with all of our other life obligations and responsibilities. I hope you find the ideas to be extremely helpful and easy to follow as you start your DIY Eating Healthy!
DIY Eating Program includes what the basic food groups are and what is a food portion. Unhealthy eating is not always about what we eat, as much as it is about the amount of what we eat. I will provide you with a chart of the different foods in each food group along with portion serving cards that will help you easily track your food intake daily. The beauty of understanding the food groups and portions allows you to make your meals as simple or as elaborate as you desire, along with getting the right amount of nutrients your body needs.
Another benefit of the DIY Eating Program is the ability to use it to not only eat healthy, but also to lose weight. Included is a breakdown of calories and how you can adjust as needed to lose weight. Healthy weight loss is one to two pounds a week, this program can accomplish that.
Eating healthy and losing weight also includes staying hydrated. Remaining hydrated requires giving our water intake some attention. Included here is a chart to help you determine exactly how much water you need for the day based on your weight.
When eating healthy and losing weight it is important that we listen and pay attention to our bodies so we will discuss having a day to weigh ourselves, as well as the taking of supplements (vitamins).
Let’s get to the implementation of DIY Eating Healthy!
Implementation
Food Groups
Depending on your age you may or may not recall learning about the Food Pyramid in school. It included six food groups; dairy, vegetables, fruit, starch, protein (meat), and fats. It is debatable whether or not we should be eating from each food group. With that said this program allows for you to make the adjustment necessary for you. For example you may not eat red meat, so in the food group for protein you would pick the items that you do eat. I will briefly share my story about having been a vegetarian;
As a child I did not like meat although I ate it. When I became old enough to make my own decisions I stopped eating meat; red meat, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb, and the like. I sometimes ate fish if I was in the mood. I did this for over 30 years, and then my body changed. I needed animal protein, as it is the building block to the body. I still do not eat red meat, pork, etc . I only eat chicken and turkey. So I totally get it that you may or may not eat all of the different foods included in all of the food groups.
The idea here is that the foods that you do eat are part of food categories and there is an appropriate portion amount that the body needs. I like to think of a well oiled machine, as an analogy; for example a car they require oil, but too much oil will ruin the engine, this is the same for our bodies. Such as sugar, which the brain requires to function correctly. The sugar that it requires comes from our fruits, vegetables and starch. When we eat processed sugar, yes it's sugar but not the chemical makeup that the brain requires. We are so dynamically designed that we have a natural reserve of the sugar the brain needs on our liver. If we are not getting the correct amount of sugar from our foods then the body uses our reserve. When this is over done it leads to diabetes. Which is why healthy eating is so valuable to our human existence.
Chart of the six food groups
(Please note that this is a limited list, providing the general idea)
Free Foods
Foods that are under 20 calories are considered free foods, those that you can eat and not have to count. Some examples of a free food are lettuce, mushrooms, cabbage, bok choy, spinach, and bell peppers to name a few .
When I first learned about serving sizes for each food category I was surprised. You too may find this to be interesting. One thing to note when you read a serving size on any package you have to see what the number of calories that is referencing. Typically packaging works with 2000 calories, so the serving size is portioned for that amount of calories. Here is the break down of each food category and what is a serving:
Serving Size
Serving Portion Cards (Print on card stock and cut out)
You can click the link and it will take you to the pdf file which will allow you to view and print.
The serving Portion Cards are what you may use during the day to track that you ate all of your food. This will allow you to make sure you eat all the necessary food for the day needed for nutrition. They will also assist with portion control, for example on a 1200 calorie healthy eating program you get 3 fruits a day. There are 3 fruit Serving Portions cards. If you have one apple then you set one of the fruit portion cards aside. After your second and third fruit you do the same. If say by noon you have no more fruit cards then you eat no more fruit for the day.
Refer to the portions chart to confirm each food group serving size. For example 1 medium size banana is 1 fruit serving.
Below are two charts. One chart for 1200 calories, and another for 1500 calories. If you are attempting to lose weight you will want to use one of these. Ideally if you are 150 pounds you will want to use the 1200 calorie chart. If you are over 150 pounds and under 200 pounds you will want to use the 1500 calorie chart. If you are maintaining at 150 pounds you will want to use the 1500 calorie chart. Here is where DIY Healthy Eating may require some help. If you do not fit into any of the categories mentioned here, please contact me and schedule a Kakoro Coaching appointment, and we will work together to build a plan for you. Please note that there will be no additional materials needed.
Another way to look at eating 1200 to 1500 calories a day is to think about eating three 500 calorie meals , or four 300 calorie meals.
Tip
Eating within the first hour upon waking has been known to start fat burning. If you are a coffee drinker it also is known to do the same thing.
Tip
Don’t forget if you use a protein supplement whey/dairy do not forget to include the number of calories it contains per serving. If you are currently not taking vitamins, consider taking those that are best for your body (example; 50 year old women take vitamins designed for women in their 50’s) Vitamins help with confirming you are getting all the nutrients needed for food absorption and elimination. Using a probiotic will also help with gut health. It is also important to get good sleep, as this is when the body replenishes itself and heals. One last final tip is to cleanse every 6 months. Find the cleanse that works for you and your level of health. One idea is the apple cleanse, where you eat as many apples as you want for 3 days, consuming no other food. You must remain hydrated by drinking water which I will discuss below and continue taking your vitamins.
1200 Calories a Day
1500 Calories a Day
Hydrate
Things to consider when considering your daily intake of water. Depending on where you live, if the biome is dry, hot and dessert-like you will need more water than if you live in an ocean biome closer to the sea where there is more moisture in the air. Another consideration is your intake of salt, sugar, caffeine, alcohol and any other types of products that cause dehydration. The body has 12 systems that all function simultaneously; they are the intemengumatory, skeletal, muscular, urinary, nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, respiratory, lymphatic, respiratory reproductive, and digestive. All 12 systems require water, hydration. DIY Eating Healthy you must drink water, as it will flush out toxins and assist with elimination, which are both necessary for weight loss and getting and staying in shape.
Weigh In
“Don’t Let Yesterday Take Up Too Much Of Today.” –
Will Rogers
Healthy weight loss is when we can lose 1 to 2 pounds a week. Ideas for staying motivated is to stay actively engaged on your journey. One way this may be achieved is selecting a weigh in day, 1 time a week. For example, first thing every Monday morning you weigh yourself. The next way to help stay engaged is to record the results on a chart. This allows for you to look back and see your progress or where you may need to make adjustments. I personally would not recommend weighing yourself every day as the more consistent day you are eating healthy the more you allow the body to change. Actively being engaged means being here right now, so it is not the time to worry about what you were doing, it’s about being right here right now and appreciating the journey. Let how you use to do things be just that, in the past, what you used to do.
Below you will find a chart that will allow you to record your progress. Don’t forget to set a date and time to weigh in and only weigh in one time a week.
Closing
Remember DIY Healthy Eating is a way of life whether you are here for getting in shape or to lose weight, I would like to encourage you to have fun with the journey. Taking care of our physical bodies is what we should do for the rest of our lives, so finding a way to eliminate any potential drudgery would be of added value. For additional motivation don’t forget your access to the DIY Transformationalist Group where you can discuss your experience, read motivational posts and if you are someone who needs help with accountability. Oftentimes we DIY Transformationalist do most of what we do by ourselves. Sometimes we may need help, if you need assistance please do not hesitate to schedule a Kokoro Coaching appointment, I would love to work together with you to find ways to help.
