My #1 Tip That Makes Eating Healthy Actually Easy (& Kinda Fun)

Is this you?

You decided you want to eat healthier. You read a diet book or two. You stocked your kitchen with gluten-free bread, vegan burgers, paleo granola, a superfood protein powder, and more kale than you know what to do with -- and you don't even like kale.

You cut out carbs, fat, calories, dairy, and fun. Maybe you started to see a change but ended up right back where you started - binge eating a bag of chips over the kitchen sink at 2am. You're fed up and you feel like you've tried it all.

I get it. I've been there, and so have many of my clients.

I'm happy to say that I have a solution that doesn't involve counting macros or buying fancy ingredients.

I call it, Plant Points.

Think of it as a game. Every time you eat a meal, count the number of plants on your plate. The goal is to eat as many plants as you can throughout the day. For some of my clients that means 10 different plants, for others it's 2. Everyone's gotta start somewhere.

It really boils down to simple math. DON'T SUBTRACT your favorite foods, just ADD more plants. Seriously though, I'm not telling you to take anything away. Don't remove pizza, tacos, ice cream or any of your favorite foods! Just simply add more plants to your plate and watch your energy skyrocket, your skin clear up, your digestion issues dissolve, and be prepared to look in the mirror and love the you you see staring back!

Ok but, why? The more plants you're eating, the more nutrients you're gifting to your body to keep your trillions of cells nourished which keep YOU going! Plus, eating a diversity of these plants strengthens your gut by making sure that every good gut bacteria in your microbiome gets it's favorite plant fiber or prebiotics (Still confused about probiotics vs. probiotics -- I got you covered!)

What counts as a PLANT POINT? Well, anything that grows out of the ground. Vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils, nuts, whole grains. Yes, vegetables are the most nutrient dense and should typically be the majority of your plant points, but everyone's gotta start somewhere. If you're starting with an apple a day, well some say that keeps the doctor away -- and I say... it's also totally a plant point!

Plant Point Example: This concept actually comes from a podcast I listened to with Dr. Will Bulsiewicz aka The Gut Health MD. Dr B. gives a great example: pasta with sauce. Sounds simple, sounds like it's probably not a meal to rack up plant points. Well, think again. Dr. B suggests adding some garlic and onions into the sauce (2 points), stirring in some sautéed zucchini (1 point) and topping the pasta with some fresh parsley and basil (2 points). All that plus a whole grain pasta and tomato sauce brings you to a total of 7 plant points in one dinner!

My clients can confirm this method is the easiest way to eat healthier without obsessing over the right or wrong foods to eat.

Try setting a plant point goal for the day, or try adding just one plant to a meal today. It feels like a game, but you really can't lose. Your favorite foods + delicious plants + finally feeling freedom around food and confident in your body - sounds like a win-win-win to me.

Be Well,

Marissa