“A happy mind is a healthy mind, and a healthy mind is good for the body”
-Dalai Lama
Welcome back!
Starting with chapter one, I learned a lot about how to make a healthy change! When reading about how the way people perceived health changed in the 1940’s, I realized one of the main reasons that I wanted to start my own healthy change of eating more fruits and veggies. The chapter discussed that how before this time, people who lived longer were assumed to just have good genes and luck. However, beginning in the 1940’s, people began to see that focus should be more on preventative measures. This introduced the ecological health model. Instead of dealing with illness and disease when it was often too late, more importance was placed on controlling the things that can lead to illness before it had the chance to act. While reading this chapter, I realized that a lot of my motivation for changing my diet has to do with this health promotion idea that was introduced at this time. Instead of letting luck guide my health, I have realized that I want to take charge of health. It makes me feel better knowing that I am doing what I can to make a better and healthier future for myself.
The chapter goes on to discuss the importance of including all 6 dimensions of health into your life. Even though my goal is simply eating more fruits and vegetables in my every day diet, I have learned from this chapter the importance of all six health dimensions when it comes to my overall wellness. I connect this with my own belief that improving your physical health need to start with a healthy mindset. In order to achieve my goals, I need to also make sure that I am healthy in the other five dimensions: spiritual, social, intellectual, emotional, and environmental. For example, I need to make sure that I am taking care of myself emotionally, or else my eating habits may not be successful. One way that I have included this idea into my own journey is by exercising more and cleaning out my room. Making sure that other areas of my life are healthy allows me to achieve more in what I want to do.
Chapter two goes on to talk more about the importance of psychological health, which addresses how we think and feel. One thing in this chapter that sparked my interest when thinking about my health goal is mindfulness, which is our ability to be present in the moment. I think that this is something that I could work on along side my healthy eating goal in order to succeed. By evaluating how I truly feel each day, I can get a better feel for how my body is feeling and how my actions affect how I feel. I think that I have already practiced mindfulness to a degree, because I have realized how good both my mind and body feel after a week of increasing the amount of fruits and veggies I am eating. I also have realized that psychological health is important for having an increased healthy lifespan, which is one thing that motivates me to take care of my body. As the chapter notes, psychological health is just as important to maintain as physical health is. This is something that I have kept in mind a lot as I start my journey. Having a positive and healthy mindset has given me a great base to be successful with the goals I have set.
Chapter three goes on to talk about something that many people, especially us college students, deal with on a daily basis. That is stress! As the chapter notes, stress can have severe impacts on our health, including digestive problems, acne, and even impaired immunity. Stress links back to our psychological health, which is important to maintain. One thing that caught my eye in this chapter was the importance of good self-esteem. Eating healthy is something that overall makes me feel better about myself and I have realized that as I start my healthy eating journey. And higher self-esteem is linked to less stress! This has motivated me to eat healthier, as my healthy eating makes me have better self-esteem, and overall makes me feel physically better day to day. This all links back to less stress. And who doesn’t need a little less stress in their lives? Another thing that this chapter mentioned is practicing yoga to reduce stress. This is something that I have thought about doing in addition to my healthy eating. As chapter one reminded me, I can not neglect other areas of my health while trying to improve another. So, I hope to not only continue on my fruit and veggie goals, but to make sure that my mind is on the right path as well along the journey.
What have I been eating this week?
Sunday Morning Breakfast:
For sunday morning, I wanted to make a breakfast for my boyfriend and I that was enjoyable, yet got in a serving of fruit for the day. One thing that I believe strongly in for my diet is compromise. I do not think that healthy eating has to be strict and not enjoyable. So, I cooked up some pancakes. But instead of pairing them with a side of hash browns, I cut some fresh fruit for a fruit salad instead. Instead of filling up on pancakes, I made sure I left room to finish my cup of fresh fruit. Although not the most fun choice all of the time, I have learned to love making fruit salad and enjoy fruits as a snack throughout the day!
Monday Coffee Shop Day:
On Monday, I visited on of my favorite coffee shops. Wildflour in Pawtucket has many healthy choices, including vegan and gluten free foods. They even have wheatgrass shots, which after researching a bit, I decided to give it a try. Just 2 ounces of wheatgrass is the equivalent of 5 pounds of green leafy vegetables! I thought this would be an easy, foolproof way to get my veggies in for the day! I wouldn’t recommend relying on this grassy tasting shot for veggies every day. I like to incorporate vegetables into my everyday meals to get myself into healthy eating habits. However, I think it could be a go-to addition for days where you are busy or indulging in a little too many not-as-good food choices.
At the same coffee shop, I also tried a chocolate avocado pudding! This was super good and an easy way to sneak some vegetables into my diet. As noted in the chapter, the importance of managing psychological health and stress are just as important as your physical health. For me, making sure that I am enjoying the foods that I am eating helps me stay motivated and happy. I love finding foods like this, because I know I am eating healthy and I am still satisfying my sweet tooth!
Monday Dinner: Zucchini “Meatballs”
Monday night, I made these amazing zucchini meatballs! They completely satisfied my desire for something savory, while at the same time got one of my servings of veggies in for that day!
Here is the recipe if you want to try!
https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a48034/zucchini-meatballs-recipe/
With the zucchini “meatballs”, I made a side of crispy carrots. I have found that this is my favorite way to have one of my favorite vegetables! I simply put the carrots on baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil, and sprinkle them with garlic salt and pepper. From there, they go in the oven at 350 degrees until they are crispy and browned. This is such a good side for any meal, or even a great snack! They are like chips, but get in a serving of vegetables for the day!
Tuesday Dinner: Veggie Packed Stir-Fry
The last meal that I documented this week is a go-to for me. Stir-fries are any easy way to get in a serving or two of veggies in for the day! I simple saute a variety of vegetables with garlic and olive oil and add in some rice at the end! I hear once that you should “eat the rainbow”, and that is something that I have been keeping in mind this week. Eating a wide variety of colors of fruits and veggies ensures that you are getting everything that these foods have to offer! A stir-fry is a great way to throw all of these colors together in an easy and quick meal.
I have found that it is much easier to get my servings of fruit into my diet every day as compared to getting my veggies in. I have been having a piece of fruit, such as an apple, orange, or banana with my breakfast every day and snack on fruit throughout the day. I’ve also been doing good with getting more water every day! I have a water bottle that I make sure I fill three times a day to get the recommended daily amount. I have been feeling motivated and eating healthy has made my body and mind feel great! As the chapters touch on, eating healthy has made all areas of my health improve, from mental health to stress levels. At the same time, improving other areas of my health also lead me to make better choices for my physical health.
Sources: Donatelle, R. J. (2018). My health. Upper Saddle River: Pearson.
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