The official end of Summer and onset of Fall always has me craving the feeling of being grounded. We traveled a lot this summer and I let plenty of projects and to-do list items pile up in exchange for some well-deserved and much-needed R&R. I’m fine with it, but with the start of the new school year, it’s time to get back to business which means prioritizing household projects and the return of meal planning and prep.
On the eating front, it wasn’t a complete free-for-all but I may have had more fish tacos and rose than I would have liked.
I know I’m not alone in feeling this way so let me get straight to the point. I’m running a FREE clean eating challenge of sorts starting September 19. You can get all the details and sign up for it here.
In the meantime, let’s talk about clean eating a little. First, I don’t like the term. I prefer “green your diet” because it sounds much less boring and that’s essentially what it is – adding in more wholesome, natural foods, especially leafy greens.
Having coached women on healthy eating for almost 8 years now and experimented on myself for even longer, I’ve noticed a few common mistakes women often make, which can foster a negative relationship with food and set you up on a cycle of on-again, off-again with no results to show for it.
These are just a few of the common mistakes women make when it comes to clean eating:
One // They treat it like a diet: Healthy eating is a lifestyle. Something you do because you want to, it feels good and you it gets you closer to a goal with which you feel connected. Consistently turning the switch on and off on clean eating is dieting behavior. The goal is to get to a place where eating healthy is just what you do, because anything else isn’t appealing. Consistency is key.
Two // It’s not about what you eat, but what you don’t eat: If you’re eating a healthy diet and using it as an excuse to eat dessert daily, throw back a glass or two of wine on the regular or binge on that cheese platter, you could be doing more harm than good. I was the picture of health, drinking green smoothies and eating big salads every day but my sweet tooth was over the top and gluten and dairy weren’t doing me any favors either. When I cut out sugar, gluten and dairy and made it a lifestyle, I noticed a drastic difference in everything from my digestion to my skin.
Three // Not understanding fullness and hunger: Sitting down to lunch every day at Noon even if you’re not hungry but because it’s “lunchtime” or eating until you have to unbutton your pants are common topics of conversation with my clients. The sad truth is that many of us haven’t learned to honor fullness and hunger in our bodies which is a culprit when it comes to over and under eating. Sure, when you eat whole foods you can eat more food, but I’ve learned that there is such a thing as too much even when it comes to healthy food. On the flip side, cleaning eating isn’t about starvation or deprivation either. There’s a line and it’s important to find what it is for you.
If you’re struggling with any of the above and more or want some accountability and support + shopping lists, a sample menu and some helpful hints to get you on your way to a healthy Fall, join me on the Green Your Diet 7-Day Challenge – CLICK HERE.
[…] the challenge is that many people are conditioned to eat this way. Similarly, there are Three Clean Eating Mistakes Women Make. Meanwhile, the same behavior carries over even when their eating habits change and they […]