Nutrition has always been a passion of mine…I love reading every new study, trying new products and wandering down every aisle of health food stores. Discussing nutrition is an integral part of my holistic approach with clients, as I really do believe that achieving optimal health and fitness is attributable significantly to nutrition (up to 80%). But as fascinating a subject as it is, I also think nutrition could be a lot simpler than we make it out to be. I believe it’s about eating a diet of mostly whole foods. In an effort to increase our own intake of whole foods and subsequently our health and energy levels, my husband and I have recently decided to adopt a “part-time” vegan diet. Maybe it sounds crazy to some…why do it only part of the time? Well, mostly it’s me…I’m not the “all or nothing” type. I like my routines and some of my favorite foods. And, as I tell my clients, long-term change comes from short, easy swaps in routines. I know I’m much more likely to stick to this change if 50% of my daily intake is vegan sources of foods (and, thus, a whole lot of antioxidants, plants and natural energy). But, by giving myself the chance to still enjoy my favorite foods allows me to experiment with new recipes, yet not go hungry as I (inevitably) mess many of them up.

After being on the part-time vegan bandwagon for a little while now, our thoughts? We’re loving this change! How could we not, with this delicious, and super easy breakfast to wake up to?

…and lunch

There are some amazing websites out there for vegan meals, gluten free meals, and just healthier meals that incorporate more whole foods than processed (my current favorite:http://deliciouslyella.com/recipes/ ). Surprisingly, I’m loving switching up my routine with these new recipes…and I’m not gonna lie, I feel great! The energy you get from eating whole foods is amazing. Yesterday, I didn’t even want to drink my usual cup of coffee in the morning (who am I??).

I’m not one to recommend any specific nutrition changes for clients, but what I can say is this: it never hurts to identify the areas in your life that can use improvements and commit to making small, sustainable and healthy changes in those areas. For some of my clients, that’s replacing a cup of juice with a whole orange in the morning. For some, it’s eating a salad just one day a week for lunch, instead of their usual sandwich and chips. Or it’s as simple as reducing the amount of sugar they put in their coffee every day.

The point of this whole rant is that changing our food intake for the better is really not so hard. Done through small steps, flavorful and exciting new recipes and the understanding of the benefits of whole foods, it really doesn’t make sense not to start a journey toward a healthier diet…today.