If you've been following for a while, you know: we're not cutting carbs. We're not counting calories. We're increasing our health, and therefore our JOY.
Here's a diet plan you can follow without feeling hungry or defeated. Without losing weight just to gain it all back instantly. Here's a way for you to find more joy in not just your meals, but your LIFE. Let's face it! Food takes up a lot of our time, energy, and bellies ;) - Why choose foods that don't bring you joy?
Read on for some ways your diet can bring you a bit more joy in your life.
There's two main ways you can get more joy out of the foods that you're eating:
1. Choose foods that you LOVE, that bring you Joy (hello Marie Kondo!)
This year, we're embracing the things that make us feel good & releasing those that are not serving us. It doesn't mean eating cake for breakfast because cake brings you joy - it means becoming in tune with your body & really starting to listen. Listening when you are hungry, and when you are full. Observing how your body feels after eating something.
Maybe 1-2 cookies after dinner is okay, but you notice after you eat an entire bag, then you feel sick. Heck, maybe you feel great eating a piece of cake for breakfast once in a while. But listening to your body & honoring what she's telling you is what's going to bring you the most joy.
Releasing the negative energy & fear that we've learned to have around food is going to be one of the biggest lessons you can learn. It means we can still work on our health goals and make choices from a place of LOVE & JOY rather than a place of fear. It means you feel good and WANT to choose the healthy options most of the time, because you know you're allowed to indulge in your favorite snacks any time you want!
2. Choose more foods that contain "feel good" chemicals, like serotonin.
Adapted from this list by Dr. Axe, here are some of the top happiness-producing, plant-based foods you can get. Thanks to the high protein, tryptophan, omega-3, B12 and antioxidant levels, these foods can contribute to a happier mood. Makes sense to me, when your gut is happy, your inflammation is low, & you're full on protein - sounds like a good day to me! Check out the article if you want more scientific descriptions of each food, I decided to just go with the recipes & let you do your own digging :)
1. Dark Chocolate: This Dark Chocolate Almond Bark (Be Plant Well) is EXACTLY what we are talking about! We've got our chocolate, we've got seeds, berries, nuts, all the good stuff! PS - if you don't have time to make the whole recipe, just buy the ingredients, chop them up & mix them in a bag for a homemade chocolate trail mix.
2. Berries: Mixed Berry Baked Oatmeal (Wife Mama Foodie) is such a great way to get a ton of berries in, use up some of those berries that are going bad, and get a breakfast meal prep in the fridge so you've got something quick, easy & delicious throughout the week.
3. Olive Oil: Okay I wasn't sure which direction I was going to go with this one, I thought about maybe sharing an infused olive oil recipe. But then, I found these two recipes & I literally couldn't choose one. On the left, we have Olive Oil Cake (Earthly Provisions) - a simple, plant-based, delicious dessert you could top with anything! On the right, learn how to turn your heart-healthy olive oil into a delicious butter substitute (Vegan Baking).
4. Walnuts: This is one of my absolute favorite go-to recipes! So simple, so delicious. All you really need are mushrooms, walnuts, and a packet of taco seasoning, but check out this full recipe from Sweet Swimple Vegan.
So, there ya have it, some thoughtful, and tangible, ways you can incorporate more JOY into your diet. Did you resonate with any of these ideas, or recipes?! Which ones stood out to you? I want to know:
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You are worthy of living and capable of creating a healthy lifestyle you love. 🤍