When people think of dieting, they often this of being restricted, hating the bland food, NOT being able to eat certain things, being FORCED to eat things they don’t like, feeling deprived. These are all negative mindsets. While some of them are technically true (such as not being able to eat certain things), the truth is that a REAL food diet like 90/10 Nutrition isn’t about taking away your food freedom at all.
When I changed my MINDSET in 2010 to one of exploration and discovery in a world of food that I had never really ventured into, I found a food freedom that I didn’t know existed.
I found clean, healthy ways to cook foods that I thought I hated that have made them not only edible but actual FAVORITES in my weekly meal plan. I am NOT exaggerating. Let me give you a few examples:
1) Brussels Sprouts: I used to HATE these….as a kid, as an adult, steamed, in a recipe….HATED THEM. Now, I have Brussels Sprouts several times a month and love them. Just chop, sautee in coconut oil, and go for it. Or, roast with a balsamic vinegar drizzle in the oven. NOTE: It’s “Brussels” sprouts…not “Brussel” sprouts. 🙂
2) All kinds of squash: Growing up, all I knew of squash was basically yellow zucchini/summer squash that was steamed and not appealing. Do you know how many types there are? It’s incredible. Good Gourd there’s a lot of them. #badpuns. My favorite now is the Kabocha squash. Roasted in the oven with a Garlic Tahini sauce. It’s so good.
Now, some of you are looking at those examples and saying “YUCK!”. I know. I would have too. I promise you that it’s not what you think it is. There are a couple of steps to turning something that seems restrictive and NOT fun into something that you love like this. You have to realize these things:
1) It requires the right mindset. You must WANT to make the change to healthy. You must WANT to explore the world of food and find ways to love food AND be healthy. You must WANT to do it so bad you are willing to put in the effort.
2) You must realize that it takes some time to make the transition. It’s not a ton of time, but it takes time. I see it over and over again. When people first start, their tastebuds are USED to the processed food, the fast food, the enriched flour, the sugar. Their brain says to them, “this is what food tastes like”….and when they put REAL food in, the brain says “that’s not food…I don’t like it”. A few weeks or maybe a few months later, the exact opposite is true if you stick with it. You will taste that processed peanut butter with sugar in it and not even like it. It’s true! It happened to me.
When you take the time and dedicate to it and make the changes, you will open yourself to a whole new world of food possibilities that weren’t even on your radar. Let me ask you this: What percentage of the average produce section do you consume? I would bet that there is a good 30% of the produce section that I have never tried and I have been trying! There is so much out there to fall in love with. That’s freedom to me. Freedom to discover all the food the earth has to offer. Not all the food Kraft and Kellogg’s has to offer.
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