Heads up, I’ve got some controversial news for you today – but hang with me! “Moderation” is one of the biggest buzzwords in wellness right now. But guess what? It doesn’t work …Because almost everyone does it wrong.
The fact is, what looks like “moderation” to one person might be something completely different for someone else. For food, your definition of “moderate” can depend on what you grew up eating, your current eating habits, or even your mood.
Just as one example: what’s a “moderate” amount of pizza? If you conducted a poll, you’d probably come up with a huge range of answers … from an entire pizza all the way down to one slice. (This isn’t even taking into account the “extras” people eat or drink with their pizza.)
All of this is backed up by science.
A major study found that when people ate according to the old saying, “everything in moderation,” they ended up with a less healthy diet than people who ate a smaller number of healthy foods.
PLUS: they ended up with bigger waists and a higher chance of developing diabetes.
So, how do you do moderation correctly?
It requires a focus on HEALTHY choices and habits – most of the time.
Which goes back to the four pillars of health I am always talking about:
- Eating the right amount of healthy foods
- Regular exercise
- Getting enough quality sleep, and
- Taking time for rest, recovery, and mental health
MORE FROM THE BLOG
Are you a stress eater? Or meal skipper?
If you’ve ever had a stressful day (or year!) that affected your eating habits, you are NOT alone. In a study, more than 75% of adults said that stress played a role in their eating during the past month. This included overeating, eating junk foods, or not eating. Many of them said it happened weekly. They also said it made them feel sluggish, lazy, disappointed in themselves, and/or irritable.
Your 4 Pillars
Last week I posted about jumping off the health/fitness/weight loss/etc. rollercoaster and finding a plan that works for YOU and your life! Doesn’t it just feel good when you get into a groove that you can actually stick with? (If you haven’t yet, hang with me, I’ve got a helpful tip for you below.) It’s a little mindset/organizing hack … And it’s something to think about when you get sidetracked, overwhelmed, or aren’t sure what to do next.
When you’re tired of feeling tired
Have you ever been here before? Something sparked you to set a new fitness goal that you were REALLY excited about. Maybe you stepped on the scale after the holidays, had a big event coming up (reunion, wedding, vacation, etc.), were unhappy with the results from your latest doctor’s visit, watched an inspiring movie, were wowed by someone else’s transformation, or even had some kind of wake-up call…
Finding your tribe
Most of the time in my emails I try not to talk about the crazy roller coaster ride we’ve been on over the past couple of years. I mean, I’m more than ready to move onward and upward! Aren’t you? But there’s a super important lesson we have all learned. It’s about how much we need COMMUNITY … CONNECTION … and SOCIAL SUPPORT.
