Improving Your Dietary Health: From the Inside Out

Our daily dietary choices can influence our physical health and overall wellness. While making the healthy choice between a salad and a chocolate cake may seem like a no-brainer, it can be more complex to practice smart diet decisions in the long term. 

So how can people be mindful of their dietary habits to practice nutritional wellness consistently?

On the Ingrained & Balanced podcast about practicing a well-balanced lifestyle, hosts Lonnie and Marty uncover beneficial tips and habits for nutritional wellness. On season 1, episode 6 of the podcast, they are joined by special guest Jaclyn London, a dietitian, brand consultant, and nutrition and health media expert, to discuss the impact of diet on overall health and wellness. 

Understanding the True Importance of Dietary Wellness

As the author of "Dressing on the Side (and Other Diet Myths Debunked)," Jaclyn is an expert on all things nutritional health. She shares her insights on nutrition and diet and how people can identify positive guidelines for how they eat. She especially focuses on consistency and longevity when preaching positive diet choices.

In her book, she dissects the myths and distortions people commonly hear surrounding nutritional health. 

Unfortunately, many of these incorrect beliefs discourage people from making changes to their regular eating patterns, physical feelings, or weight. By debunking them, these distortions no longer keep people from realizing their goals. 

Limiting beliefs and distortions surrounding dietary health are common, but identifying the truth can allow us to persevere. Through science-backed knowledge, people can avoid discouraging myths and maintain mindfulness of the importance of proper nutrition. 

Now, you don't need to write your own myth-busting book or become an expert on dietary wellness like Jaclyn. Instead, brush up on the basics of nutritional wellness and gut health to stay mindful and apply these facts to your daily dietary decisions.

Making Moves that Work For You

Change is always hard and can involve careful planning and consideration to work successfully. 

But, of course, what works for one person may not work for another, and therefore people should identify habits and practices that work best for them and their lifestyles.

According to Jaclyn, "The most important thing that we can do is to actually practice making the choices that are right for us, and putting those things into practice day after day is the building blocks of healthy habits over time. "

She reveals actionable, attainable steps people can take toward building healthier habits. She also discusses how she works with new clients to develop healthy eating plans optimized for their lifestyles and goals. This involves assessing their diets and advising them on patterns, habits, and choices of their eating habits. 

Each of Jaclyn's client experiences is unique, as she attunes her coaching methods to their needs. Still, she tends to focus on a few distinct factors regarding her client's lifestyles to determine appropriate habit changes for them to make. These include the client's current locations, activities, and goals. 

To identify healthy dietary habit changes for your lifestyle, consider where you spend the majority of your time. 

Important dietary aspects like the availability of healthy foods, diet influencers, and culture all relate to a person's location. Therefore, consider these aspects when determining attainable habit goals that would work for your location and lifestyle. For example, sourcing fresh produce daily at an exotic food market may not be possible within your city, but packing a balanced lunch for work can be an easy, actionable step toward a healthier diet.

Maintaining Consistency in the Long Run

The primary focus of a dietitian is to determine the best route of action for an individual and to help them develop patterns, habits, and choices that are repeatable over time. We've gone over the need for dietary wellness plans to be rooted in nutritional facts and be optimized for the individual's lifestyles and goals. 

But how can people get the ball rolling with little steps to start eating better?

Jaclyn's book outlines impactful dietary rules people can practice to start seeing real change. She provides several of these healthy habits on the podcast, explaining their importance and ways to integrate them into a daily routine.

Eat Breakfast

We've all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and Jaclyn backs up this phenomenon. Eating breakfast means people will burn more energy throughout the day, which is vital for our long-term metabolic flexibility.

Jaclyn recommends that her clients curate a morning meal that excites and inspires them to begin their day. 

A larger breakfast with a source of protein and fiber can fuel the body throughout the day and is beneficial for keeping up a healthy and active metabolism. 

Furthermore, getting creative with the ingredients you have on hand in your kitchen can maximize versatility and keep you excited and inspired by your breakfast options.

Eat Consistently

Eating constantly throughout the day can reduce the likelihood of missing out on necessary nutrition due to skipped meals and changed plans. Supporting your body with snacks throughout the day can ensure that it has the nutrients it requires.

Jaclyn recommends that people eat every three to four hours. 

Consistently eating is critical to staying on top of our hunger and satiety cues. When life happens, and we can't take time out of our days to eat a full meal, we can make it easier on ourselves and our bodies by staying consistent with healthy snacking.

Consuming small healthy portions can keep our bodies energized and fill in any gaps in our diets.

Stay Hydrated

Another fundamental aspect of nutrition is hydration. In today's fast-paced world, people can find themselves too busy to take a moment to drink water. This is why Jaclyn recommends staying hydrated by drinking constantly.

Jaclyn recommends staying hydrated from unsweetened beverages throughout the day, like tea, water, or sparkling water. It's easy to start a habit of healthy hydration by taking in fluids from a non-sugar-sweetened beverage.

Staying consistent with our consumption of beverages can make it easier to maintain proper hydration to support our bodily functions and overall dietary wellness.

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Tune in to the Ingrained & Balanced podcast to listen to Jaclyn London's interview and hear more actionable tips for better dietary wellness!