A Guide to Creating a Holistic Meal Plan
Holistic nutrition understands that your health and wellbeing never come down to one thing. Everything is connected. So, when deciding to make positive improvements to your life, it’s never so easy as simply “going on a diet.”
That’s where a little planning can go a long way.
Instead of rushing head first into the the latest health trend, it’s important to step back and understand not only where you are now, but where you want to be. How else could you be supporting your wellbeing? Are there habits you’ve acquired that are helping or hurting? What’s been holding you back?
This is the sort of information that can help you build a holistic meal plan that actually helps you achieve your goals.
What is a Holistic Meal Plan?
More than simply providing a nutritional diet, a holistic meal plan considers your lifestyle, health history, and activity level as a part of your overall wellness. It understands that your diet is connected to your mental health and vice versa.
By combining nutrient-rich foods with beneficial lifestyle habits, it becomes possible to improve both your physical, spiritual, and mental wellbeing long term.
When building out a holistic meal plan for yourself, here’s what you should be considering:
1. Start With a Nutritious Diet
Exactly what you include in your diet will differ based on your goals, but here are a few key things to keep in mind.
Prioritize Whole Foods
Whole foods are unprocessed foods.
Examples include organic fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. They come straight from the source, which means that they still contain all of the natural nutrients that are often lost during processing.
Balance Your Macronutrients
Your three macronutrients are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, and each plays a different role in your overall health. In the course of creating a balanced diet, it’s important that you get enough of each.
Carbohydrates: Your body’s main source of energy.
Proteins: Responsible for building and repairing muscle tissue
Fats: Crucial to brain health, hormone production, and other bodily functions
Don’t Overlook Your Micronutrients
Unlike your car, your body isn’t fueled by an easy, all-in-one gas. In order to get the nutrients needed to function at your best, you need a diverse diet of vitamins and minerals.
My advice to anyone is to start by including a protein, grain, and at least two vegetables into every meal. Fruits, seeds, and nuts are also great options for a midday snack.
Prep, prep, prep!
The more you can meal prep, the easier your life will be! By not only planning out your meals beforehand but by cooking and storing key components, you’ll avoid the decision fatigue that can lead to you breaking your diet.
For some advice on how to properly prep your week’s meals, subscribe to my newsletter for my free meal prepping guide!
2. Ease in Lifestyle Changes
Making long-term changes to your lifestyle is no easier than making long-term changes to your diet. Falling back into old habits is tempting. So, don’t be afraid to start small.
Begin by adding basic activities into your routine to improve your daily health. This could include prioritizing better sleep to exercising more often. Whatever it is, hold yourself accountable. Schedule it into your day. And if that remains difficult, try recruiting an accountability buddy to join in with you.
Everything’s easier with friends!
3. Prioritize Wellness Habits
When your mind’s feeling off, chances are, so is the rest of you.
Your mental health is absolutely crucial to your overall wellbeing. It’s important that you take care of yourself by practicing self-care and wellness habits.
Journaling, meditation, and yoga are great places to start. Others find cardio or weight lifting to be a great source of stress relief. And soon enough, you’ll find that a healthy diet can be a great boost to one’s spirit.
Interested in a Personalized Meal Plan?
If you’ve thought about making a change to your diet but don’t know where to start, reach out for a free consultation. We can discuss whether one of my programs might just be the mentorship you need to reach your goals!
Whether you’re looking to lose weight, boost energy, increase your mental aptitude, or something else, I can help!