This post is also available in:

Healthy eating starts today

Every time is a good time to start eating healthily

Have you, like me, been wanting to lose a few pounds for a while, but you keep putting it off?

Believe me: Any time is a good time to start eating healthily. You don’t have to wait for Monday, a new month or a new wave of motivation.

Sometimes it just starts… Like today.

My biggest guilty pleasure: bread

I am a woman who loves bread. All kinds: white, brown, whole wheat, even that special sourdough bread. Maybe it’s because bread used to be a staple when I was young.

• Bread for breakfast
• Bread for dinner
• Sandwiches to school
• And on the way from the bakery quickly munching a few slices of bread, who doesn’t recognize that?

It sits so deep in me.

But hm… Bread contains a lot of carbohydrates, and they are converted into sugars. Not ideal if you want to lose weight.

That’s why I now limit myself to two or three slices of bread a day. And that works quite well.

Cake and pastry: my second weak spot

I can perfectly resist sweets, but cake and cake, that’s another story.

That’s why I just won’t get it in the house for the time being.

Drink more water. Finally!

I drink coffee all day long, but water? Hardly.

That’s why I now put a two-liter jug of water on the kitchen counter in the morning.

It should be empty by the evening. Period. Again, very feasible.

Fruit and vegetables: as pure as possible

Unprocessed fruits and vegetables contain fewer calories and give your body more work. And that’s good.

But not everything has to be raw for me (Brussels sprouts and leeks… no thanks). I’d rather go for a large portion of vegetables with the main meal. On top of that, I eat an apple, a banana, and some tangerines. I think that’s feasible and I still get to the ‘five a day’ rule.

Proteins for the necessary energy

For the meals, in addition to the fruit and vegetables, I consciously choose:

We have heard all our lives that cow’s milk is good for the bones, especially because of its calcium content.

That is partly true, but it is not the whole story.

Calcium is important for strong bones, but the body does not distinguish between calcium from cow’s milk or from other sources.

Fortified plant-based milk can contain just as much calcium, as can vegetables, nuts, and legumes.

Ultimately, exercise, vitamin D and your total diet also play a major role in bone health.

So… If you buy plant-based milk, preferably buy the fortified version.

My little plan

My personal plan is not difficult, it is clear and it feels achievable.

• Less bread,
• no cake or cake,
• drink plenty of water,
• sufficient protein-rich food,
• Fruits and vegetables as pure as possible, (hence the watercolor of carrots above)
• outside every day for sunlight,
• and exercise in a simple way: walking or cycling.

Every month I weigh myself and note the progress, or… the stagnation, or possibly even an increase. Because yes, there will be days when this plan does not quite work out. Sometimes due to circumstances, sometimes because I am only human.

But that’s part of it. The most important thing is: I have started.

You can find more of these stories on my site under ‘recent posts‘.

On the homepage you will find a brief overview of all the projects, which can also become your steps for more creativity and self-care .

Emma