New Year, Same You... with Better Habits

OK, . The New Year is upon us and I'm here to remind you that no matter what happened last year, it's time to turn over a new leaf.

Let's not do the "new year, new you" thing... the old you is lovely. Let's not be so harsh and banish him/her/them. The old you has accomplished a lot. The old you is strong and brave and can do hard things. There's nothing wrong with the old you!

How about in 2022, we try something more practical and kind, like "new year, same you... with better habits." Doesn't that sound sooo much better than having to change everything about yourself in order to be happier and healthier?

Over-the-top, drastic changes are not sustainable and don't even work in the long run. If you want to make positive changes, you can do them gently. One at a time. Step by step. Slow and steady.

At this point, I know you're thinking: OK Fatimah, I hear you. Step by step. I get it. But what's the first step? What do I focus on today? How do I get started?

Well my friend, I am soooo glad you asked because there are SO MANY things you can do, starting today, to be healthier and happier. And they aren't complicated.

Here are some easy ideas for you to get started with healthy eating for paralysis:

Eat 3 meals a day - that's right, ! Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You should be eating 3 meals, and even a snack if you are an early riser. This will help balance your blood sugar, reduce bloating, and keep your metabolism running.
Drink at least 2 liters of water - I know it can be hard to drink enough water, especially when it's winter and you're not as thirty. But if you're not drinking enough, you'll end up having a harder time with your bowel program, and you may end up overeating (sometimes we confused thirst with hunger!). Also, UTIs can develop easier when you're not flushing the bacteria out of your bladder frequently enough.
Eat vegetables at 2 meals - aim for having 1/2 a plate of non-starchy vegetables at 2 meals per day, probably lunch and dinner. You can do a simple salad, raw veggies with a dip (hummus or guacamole are great options), roasted vegetables.. have them any way you like them. But have them twice, every day.
Enjoy ALL foods! - if you're thinking that some restrictive, fad diet like keto is going to help you lose weight and feel better, think again. Any diet that eliminates an entire food group is not a good choice (for example, keto eliminates fruit, grains, etc.). You need ALL different types of foods to get proper nutrition.

Does that sound reasonable, ? Nothing too crazy. It might even be surprising, because these suggestions are pretty simple. With all the confusing, bad advice out there about nutrition and diet (mostly from people who are NOT registered dietitians trained in medical nutrition therapy and food science, I might add!) it may seem shocking that I'm not telling you to do anything over-the-top.

But that's the most important thing that I want you to know - eating healthy doesn't have to be difficult. You can literally eat all the foods you love and still lose weight and improve your bowels. But you will have to ADD IN more nutritious foods to balance everything out. Repeat after me: healthy eating can be delicious AND give me results!

Pick ONE thing from my list of suggestions and do it today. You will surely get a little boost from this one success. And then you can add another thing tomorrow. Keep building and soon enough you'll be feeling SO much better. And you'll prove to yourself that you can do this!

In 2022 I wish you ABUNDANT happiness and health. Stop holding yourself back with limiting, negative thoughts. I'm here to help you live a longer, happier life with paralysis - using the good old-fashioned power of nutrition.

Cheers to your good health!
xo Fatimah