5 Tips for Eating Naturally on a Budget: Balancing Your Hormones Naturally.
In my last post, we talked about 8 foods that can add to your hormone imbalance. We talked about the importance of discovering your food sensitivities and eliminating those things that your body is not doing well with. Reducing inflammation and eating in a way that nourishes you is paramount as you go through your hormone fluctuations. Today we will talk about how to apply these things in the practicalities of shopping on a budget. Many of us are on a limited budget and eating well should not be adding more stress to your life. You can read more about the importance of reducing stress for your hormones here.
How to Eat Naturally On a Budget Tip 1:
Make the shift from the diet mindset to lifestyle mindset:
Remember, (I will keep saying it for emphasis) we are NOT dieting. I used to work for Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and some others companies. Here is what I learned, while they may help for a while (yes I did lose weight) diets keep you coming back- they are not there for a lifetime. As your hormones shift these programs no longer work and we need to plan for that and work at it. So your eating changes need to be a lifestyle focus. Changing with your needs. Even when life throws you a curveball. There may be an interruption or a shift for a short time but then we can get back into the groove again.
How to Eat Naturally on a Budget Tip 2:
Commit to planning:
There is nothing worse than not planning ahead. We all know the drill. You wake up and are hungry but you don’t know what to eat. You don’t have any of the foods that you need for breakfast and so you tell yourself that you will wait until tomorrow. We put off the beginning and then we put off making the changes needed.
How to Eat Naturally on a Budget Tip 3:
Do Inventory:
Go through your kitchen, pantry, and your freezers. Do an inventory of what you already have in stock. (I found I had 3-4 months of food that I needed to use!) You might be very surprised at what you have to use and only needs to be added to.
How to Eat Naturally on a Budget Tip 4:
Make a Meal Plan:
Make a meal plan around your sensitivities. I used to make the same breakfast. I love shakes and so I would do a shake every morning. (Message me if you want to know my favorite shakes.) For lunch I always did leftovers. But, you need to find what works for you. Does simplicity work for you? That’s what you should go with. Do you love trying new things? Then experiment with recipes. (Check out my Pinterest Board) Choosing what works for you will enable you to stick with your new changes to eat for hormone balance and eating naturally on a budget. I found a wonderful resource in the services that deliver you already made healthy meals. These helped me so much with my busy schedule. You can do your Meal plan for as long as works for you. 7 days, 2 weeks, or even a full month of planning will go a long ways towards your success. There are several meal plans online so you can find the one that works for you.
How to Eat Naturally on a Budget Tip 5:
Stick with your list:
Only shop for what’s on your list. Do not be drawn away by this sale or that or what looks good at the time. You may need to go back to store for perishables. But even when you go back later in the week, go back with only the amount of money you need for those foods. This will enable you to stick to your list so you can eat naturally on a budget! Personally, my favorite store has been Redmans. But, nowadays stores like Aldi and Lidl enable you to buy naturally on a budget. And as I mentioned last week, consider farmers markets as great resources! Lack of preparation results in getting discouraged. It takes very little to draw us off course. Not knowing what to eat, not having all the ingredients and then excuses of why we need to begin…tomorrow. This does NOT help the mood swings, your hot flashes, the fact that you feel awful and your hormones. Set yourself up for success. This is a journey no matter what you do. For women, perimenopause can start in your 30s, most in 40s or 50s. For men it starts declining in their 20’s but then it really begins to decline in your 50s. For men, it is not as rough. For women though, it can be very rough, depending on your family history. IN my family, 3 different sisters have entirely different menopause. We have a lot of tools and technology now to help us out and we want to utilize those tools to help us with our nutrition to feed our bodies and help make our symptoms less. One note of encouragement: Take a deep breath and hear this. On the other side of menopause, it is bliss. I have been on other side since age 44 (I am 55 now). And I can tell you, It doesn’t get any better. It is truly liberating! You begin to find your voice, you get really grounded and things that bothered you before do not bother you anymore. To take encouragement. There is hope! I hope to assist you with as much as I can for FREE! I want to help you to get to a place where you know that you can make this journey healthfully. In summary, make the mental shift from diet to lifestyle, commit to planning ahead, do inventory, use an actual meal planner, and stick with your list, shopping only for the ingredients you need. Here is to your success! ~SUSAN OREHOWSKY
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