Why A Healthy Lifestyle Should Include Treats

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Transcript

Hey, this is Laura Lima, holistic nutritionist and founder of New Mama Nation, and host of The Love & Lettuce Podcast. I am here to help mamas know what to eat to give them energy and help them feel fantastic, so they can better enjoy life with their littles. And remember, this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only, and does not replace medical advice from your healthcare provider, and is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition. As always, please consult your health care provider to find out what is right for you. With that said, let’s get to the show.

Could you use more energy, mama?

I mean, who couldn’t, right? Get my free New Mama Energy Guide, where I’ll give you 10 tips to increase your energy, stat. Go to bit.ly/newmamas, that’s bit.ly/newmamas, to get your free copy. 

You might have read or heard the title of this podcast episode and been like, yeah girl, and gotten excited because you feel like sticking with healthy eating might now be doable for you. Or, you might’ve read it or heard it and thought, girl, you are nuts. Whichever camp you’re in, I hope you’ll hear me out. 

When it comes to eating, I don’t think of being on or off the wagon. Rather, I think of it as our life.

Eating is something we do for nourishment and for pleasure, this fun thing we get to experience multiple times a day. Like, seriously think about that for a second. How amazing is it that we get to taste these satisfying flavours, put together any combination we want, and enjoy the heck out of these foods that are ideally nourishing our body?! And we get to do it all the time. Like, it’s truly awesome. 

So with that context of eating in mind, my aim is to super-nourish my body while enjoying my food. And I do enjoy it, hugely so, in fact. Healthy foods and ingredients taste fantastic. At the same time, though, I recognize that I’m not going to have healthy foods available to me 24/7, nor am I going to opt for them every single time, believe it or not. 

This is where the treats come in.

While I aim to eat the healthiest foods most often, I’d say around 80% of the time, I also enjoy the heck out of treats. And while I often choose the healthier option where available, for example, making cookies with spelt flour and sucanat, I also won’t always turn down a sugar-containing, white flour-filled slice of cake. And I’ll make it a big one, too. 

That may surprise you. But does it? Really think about it. This is our entire life we’re talking about. My goal isn’t to be absolutely perfect in my diet 100% of every day, forever and always, until the end of time. If that’s your goal, then you go, mama, and I’m behind you all the way. Seriously. But for me to be able to enjoy whatever I want while truly wanting to choose healthy most of the time? That right there is my sweet spot. 

Now while I eat treats, I try not to go nuts. As in, eating everything in sight and then go raiding the pantry in search of more.

And I also know my triggers… randomly, chocolate almonds are one of them. Once I start in on those, I find it really hard to stop. Anyone who’s seen me with a bowl or – ahem – bag of them beside me can attest to that. Which can then lead me down a sugary pathway that is anything but sweet. Been there, don’t want to look back. 

So for that reason, I do avoid those pretty much altogether, those chocolate almonds, but most other treats are “safe”. And since, at the time of this recording, we’re close to Halloween, I need to tell you that I won’t be having any Halloween candy. None. Zero. 

This may seem contradictory to everything else I’m saying in this episode, but there’s just something about Halloween candy, and specifically, chocolate for me… I’m not an actual candy person… There’s something about it that is just so addictive. Like you can’t just eat one… forget it. As soon as that first piece of chocolate hits your tongue, it is Game. Over. Am I right or am I absolutely 1000% right? One is never enough. It is literally designed to make us want, no, need more, more, more. And I therefore find that it’s so much easier to avoid it completely than to have just a few. Because we all know it’s not just a few. 

Now, if you’ve listened to my thoughts today about this and you’re like, yes, Laura, I am with you, and I can’t wait to dive into that pack of cookies in the pantry. BRB, just going to go do that now… then hold the phone, my friend. (Literally, you’re probably listening to this on your phone, so hold it.) 

Okay, that just happened. Moving along. 

But I seriously want you to go about this carefully. Because as much as I’m all for freedom when it comes to your food choices, I do want you to rein it in just a little and keep some control over those foods you’re choosing. Because it is easy to fall into the trap of needing more, of getting past the point of, you know, some indulgences here and there and going right into needing that sugar to get you through your day. 

I don’t want you to fall into that trap.

So there is a fine line here, a definite balance to keep in mind. If you’ve worked with me before, or you’ve been following me for a while (in which case, shoutout to you! Thank you!)… You probably know that I recommend following an 80/20 diet. This means that 80% of the foods you eat are the most healthy foods that you could consume. This leaves 20% for indulging in a little treat action. 

Now I’m not suggesting you go crazy.

In fact, I’m suggesting you do the opposite. You allow yourself to indulge for sure, and when doing so, you’re enjoying the heck out of it. But you really do keep that to a minimum. Like I said, 20%-ish of the time or less. And the rest of the time, you’re feeding your body super-nourishing foods that help you thrive and feel fantastic. And doing that, making sure you’re eating the most healthy most of the time. That will help you avoid going down that sugary path where all you want to do is eat more sugar. It will allow you to include some treats here and there and really enjoy them while truly wanting to stick to your mostly-healthy-foods diet. 

Now, some of us have zero tolerance for sugar, meaning if we eat even the tiniest amount, we slide so fast down that hill that there’s no stopping us, never mind a hope for climbing back up. In those cases, sugar might be out completely. But of course, there are more treats than just sugary ones. We each have our own triggers as well as our own tendencies. If you find yourself on that sugary slope more often than not, then I’d encourage you to evaluate just how many treats you’re eating. They are pretty sneaky, after all, so watch out for those trigger foods that make you need more and make you unable to stop. 

Once you figure that out, and you start living realistically and with your best health in mind, then you are golden.

Because, you know, it’s not actually a healthy eating plan… it’s your life. I call it a “plan” with my clients because it’s often a different way of eating than they’re used to. And it feels good and motivating to have a written-down guide to follow. 

But my hope for them, and for you, is that what starts as a plan becomes a new lifestyle. A healthier, upgraded way of living that will help you feel truly awesome and show up for life in a happier way. And my friend, that is oh-so-possible. When your body is floating happily through the day, truly nourished by the foods you’re feeding it, when you feed your body and brain in this way, you make it possible to enjoy treats here and there while sticking with your awesomely healthy lifestyle. That for me, is realistic living. 

So I want to know, how do you feel about a healthy lifestyle including treats?

Is this how you aim to live, too? Or do you think this is a totally crazy concept that you have to really think about before deciding if it makes sense for you? Find me on Instagram and let me know! I’m @lauraannlima. Take a screenshot of this episode and tag me in your story (or send me a DM), and tell me what you thought. I will see you there. 

Tune in next week to find out three nutrients that in my opinion, all new moms need. And remember, the new moms that I work with are those with a newborn (whether it’s their first or fifth), all the way up to when the kids go to school. I’ll be talking about some common symptoms that many of us experience, and what nutrient deficiencies they could be pointing to. Can’t wait to share that one with you. If you’re not already subscribed to this podcast, do it! That way when a new episode comes out, you’ll see it right there on your phone. 

And don’t forget to get your free copy of my New Mama Energy Guide.

Just go to bit.ly/newmamas for instant access.

Thanks for listening to The Love & Lettuce Podcast. To find out how to work with me and for more great info, check out newmamanation.com. This is Laura! Until next time, love and lettuce.