5 Nutrition Tips for Consistently Nourishing Your Body
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So you want to get more consistent with nourishing your body, but for some reason can’t get yourself to actually do it? I know so many women who want to nourish their body and build the body they want, yet they struggle to stick with it. They find themselves starting over on weekly basis and feel absolutely hopeless. These women are constantly reaching out to me and asking me how I’m able to stay consistent with macro counting and nourishing my body.
That’s why in this episode of Embrace Your Real, I have 5 simple nutrition tips to share with you! Staying consistent with nourishing your body doesn’t have to be hard and I’m here to teach you how to make it more simple! Are you ready?
Links mentioned:
Get macro-friendly recipes here: juliealedbetter.com/recipe-guides
So you want to get more consistent with nourishing your body, but for some reason can’t get yourself to actually do it? Staying consistent doesn’t have to be hard and I have 5 tips to make it way more simple!
TRANSCRIPT:
Hey, hey, beautiful human. Can I steal five minutes of your time? I have something super important to share with you, but I promise I'll be really quick. You're listening to my weekly bonus episode of Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter. I'm about to give you a quick tip for building your confidence, honoring your body and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned if you're ready to embrace a real. Let's get it, let's go.
Welcome back to another bonus episode. So you want to get more consistent with nourishing your body, but for some reason you can't get yourself to actually do it. Every Monday you tell yourself, "Okay, this week I'm going to do it." And yet you continue to fail over and over again. I've been there. Trust me. For a decade of my life, I was there. I told myself, "I'm just going to do it. I'm just going to do it." And yet I realize that isn't enough. You need to actually set yourself up for success with these five nutrition tips that I think will really help you in that. And so that's what I'm going to be sharing. But before I do, I have to share this super sweet review. It's a five star review from Amanda Polish.
She says, "Julie's voice calms me down during a stressful day and lifts me up, whether the day is good or bad. I feel like she is a dear friend of mine. I scrolled back to play an episode I haven't and listened to, except I've listened to them all. Thank you for all that you do. Keep up the amazing work. It is so appreciated." Amanda, first of all, the fact that you've listened to all 205, now 206 episodes of the Embrace Your Real podcast is so, so incredible. You are a true OG. I appreciate your words so much. I believe that we are already friends. I mean, my podcast fam, you guys are my people. You are my crew. You are my ride or dies. I love you so, so much.
And if you haven't already left a review, all you got to do is go to Apple Podcasts and click on Embrace Your Real when you type in that search bar and scroll all the way down, you'll see the rating and review. It really does bless me. It helps our podcast get up into the charts, which basically just means that we're able to reach more people and that's the whole goal and our heart behind this podcast. So thank you in advance.
Let's dive into these five simple tips. Number one, educate yourself on serving sizes. So when I'm at home, typically I weigh my food when I have time. When I'm either eating out or don't have time to weigh my food, I still know how to nourish my body because I have a very good understanding of the macronutrients in the different foods and what they contain, what their serving sizes are. Like for example, I know what 30, 40 grams of rice looks like. I typically know what the macros are for that or I know what 30 grams or two tablespoons of peanut butter looks like or one serving of rolled oats or what 100 grams of chicken looks like without having to really measure it. I've done it long enough that I know typically what is in food and it's because I've taken the time to educate myself. I've learned how many carbs, fats and proteins typically make me feel my best for my meals and snacks. And I know what that looks like.
If I'm aiming to eat around 30 grams of protein, 30 grams of carbs and 15 grams of fat in one meal, I typically know what that's going to look like without even measuring it. And sometimes I won't measure it and I'll just go off of my eyeballs. Other times I will measure it because even though I might know things pretty well, I will say that our eyes still deceive us. But the more practice that you have when it comes to just constantly, again, just seeing what a serving size is and training your mind to know what that looks like for different foods, it will help you tremendously when you don't have the time to measure or the accessibility to measure. And just knowing that you're still able to nourish your body with what it needs and the proper amounts of food.
Number two, I recommend to have some go-to meals and snacks. So I always have about three dinners and three snacks on rotation. And for each I typically know what the macros are. So whenever I make it, I already know that it's going to fit within my macronutrient suggestion for that day without really having to try to figure it out. What I see often happens with people when feel rushed or they're exhausted is that they need to eat something ASAP and they don't want to put any time into what they're eating. So maybe what they're eating has way more carbs or way more fats than their body actually needs from that meal. And the reason I think that it's so important to have a balanced approach to your meals and snacks is because when you are properly fueling your body for those meals and snacks, you're going to have that sustained energy and you're not going to have those big crashes because you're balancing your protein, carbs and fats for those meals.
And so for me, I, like I said, just kind of have some dinners and snacks on rotation that I know are easy for me if I don't have the time to create a new recipe for that dinner. And with those go-to meals, I know the ingredients and the measurements by heart. I know the macros. I know the serving sizes. And so that way, if you have go-to meals and snacks, you can run to the store quickly and know exactly what you need for that dinner or snack. Or when you do your weekly grocery list, you can buy those ingredients without having to make it upfront, you at least have them in your house. So that way on the days that you're busy or you're just simply feeling super lazy, instead of going completely off track and putting something together that's not going to ultimately fuel your body in the most proper way or might not give you the most sustained energy, you actually have those meals and snacks.
So people always ask me all the time, like, what are some go-to snacks that you have? So I thought I would just share some of my go-to snacks that I've been loving recently. And maybe these will give you a good idea. So for me, I love making the pita chips from the Joseph's Lavash bread. I personally get that Lavash at Sprouts, but you can also get it, if you just type in Joseph's Lavash, L-A-V-A-S-H bread, you'll be able to order it straight from their website. I think also you can order it on Amazon, but I then also make a protein powder frosting dip, like with 14 grams of protein powder, one to two grams of Truvia because I have a sweet tooth and then just a splash of almond milk and mix that together. And then I just kind of drizzle it on top of the pita chips. You guys, mwah, chef's kiss. It's amazing.
I also love the lightly salted rice cakes and sometimes I'll put hummus on there, other times they'll put some peanut butter and some mini chocolate chips, or I've also been loving snack peppers that you can get at your grocery store in the produce section. And I'll have those with some carrots and cucumbers and I've been loving the tzatziki yogurt sauce. So those are just some examples of some snacks that I have on hand. If you've been following me closely on my stories, you guys know I have been obsessed, absolutely obsessed with this two ingredient crust that I initially created for one of the recipes that is in my most recent recipe book from the Honor Your Body Challenge Winter 2022. So in that recipe, I was like, "Man, I think that I could just create this as a crust and make a pizza out of it." And I've been doing that like two, three times a week and oh my goodness. All it is is yogurt and self-rising flour.
If you guys want the actual recipe of the crust, I actually just released the brand new macro friendly recipe guide. It has over 25 recipes. It was for all of the people inside the Honor Your Body Challenge Winter 2022. It came included in that, but I just released it to the public. So if that's something that would be helpful for you, there is breakfast, there is entrees, there's desserts. And then I also have some meal prep batch proteins, which is always super helpful to have on hand. You can make that batch protein ahead of time and then you can use that batch protein in a variety of different dishes. And that just helps so much. So I will go ahead and link that in the show notes below. You can also go to juliealedbetter.com/recipeguide and you'll see the winter 2022 recipe eBook. I also have a bundle where you can get all of the eBooks from the past challenges and there's over 25 recipes in each one.
I've kind of bundled it together so you can get all of those for a discounted price. So if you want to learn more, again, go to juliealedbetter.com/recipe-guides and you can learn more about that. But just having those meals and snacks and having some go-tos that are both delicious and macro friendly can be super helpful.
Number three, don't try to eat clean at every single meal every single day. Yes, eating nutrient dense foods are important. They give you the bulk of nutrients that you need to be a healthy human being. But I would argue that the less nutrient dense foods are just as important. And hear me out, when someone tries to lose weight or reach whatever goal that they're trying to reach, even if they just eat better in their day to day life, they oftentimes think that they only need to eat salads or only eat organic foods or these weird health foods that they saw this influencer eating on Instagram. So each meal just tastes healthy, if you know what I mean. But here's the thing. If we're only eating meals that taste healthy yet aren't satisfying, we're likely not going to stay on track long term. Either it will trigger us to overindulge in order to make up for the lack of enjoyment in our everyday meals or we're just going to quit altogether.
So yes, you can eat less nutrient dense foods and still meet the amount of carbs, fats and protein your body needs. And in fact, I highly recommend it. If you've been following since the days of my multiple year streak of eating Domino's pizza every single Friday night, for those who know what I'm talking about out, you guys know I called it [jai 00:09:57] pizza. You guys are the real OGs. For some, they might have thought like, "Man, that's so unhealthy." But for me it truly brought me joy. And I'm personally going on almost a decade of counting macros because of this mentality, because I allow myself to eat delicious foods within my daily intake on a normal regular basis because that is just as important as prioritizing nutrient dense foods.
So I would say about 70-ish percent, 70 to 80% of my normal days are highly nutrient dense foods that are going to leave me feeling satisfied, give me the sustained energy that I want. And then that's going to leave anywhere from 20 to 30% of those joy foods that I like to call them. But then on the weekend, for example, on Fridays, my husband and I are really into Texas Roadhouse. We have been for about a year and a half now ever since lockdown and oh my goodness, the Texas Roadhouse rolls, y'all, they just bring me so much joy. The honey cinnamon butter, it brings me so much joy. I typically do fit it into my daily allotment of macros. So when I do that, I typically put that into my daily macro counting. So what I typically do is I account for it the first thing in the morning and then I kind of piece together the rest of my day.
So I'll have other meals and snacks that are in protein and lower in carbs and fats only because I know that my dinner is going to be higher in fats and carbs. And so it just kind of allows me the opportunity to make sure I'm meeting my protein goal and I am not completely blowing my carb and fat goal. But y'all, there are some days and weeks where my Texas Roadhouse does not fit into my macros, but it is a joy meal for me. I love it so, so much. And so I just want to encourage you if you struggle with this mentality of trying to eat clean every single meal, just know that that's not likely going to give you and lead to sustainable results long term. So I want to challenge you to start prioritizing fitting foods that you love into your daily allotment of protein, carbs and fats just as much as you prioritize eating nutrient dense foods.
Number four, don't skip meals. Please, please, please don't skip meals. Something I see celebrated all the time and it just makes me so frustrated is the women who say, "Oh my gosh, I haven't eaten all day." Or, "Oh my gosh, I totally forgot to eat lunch." Like it's something to be proud of. You guys, skipping meals or not eating all day is not something that you should get a badge of honor for. This is not something that should be a goal. And it's truly not something that should be celebrated. I used to go all day without eating. I worked multiple jobs in college and I wouldn't let myself eat until I got home for the day. And you know what happened? I would completely overindulge. Any food that I would find, I would eat it and I would eat it until I was sick because I was so hungry. I was not nourishing my body whatsoever and and I also not building the body that I wanted.
I was so confused because I was at the same time prioritizing two hours a day on the cardio machine at the college gym. And then I was not actually allowing myself to eat throughout the day and nourishing my body for all of the exertion, the exercise that I was doing. And it just led me to feeling even more deprived and feeling more frustrated and confused. I personally have found that I'm so much more productive when I have three to four small balanced meals throughout the day, rather than skipping meals and I also allow myself to have some snacks throughout the day if I'm hungry and so that for me works. And it's also more sustainable, honestly, for your mental health. And it truly will lead you to building the body that you want.
Number five, realize that imperfection is normal. No one who has a healthy relationship with food will tell you that they eat perfectly every single day for every single meal. And if they do, I'm telling you that's not a sustainable lifestyle. It truly, truly isn't. And if you are eating perfectly every single day for every single meal, I would encourage you to reevaluate your mindset and if you truly do have a healthy relationship with food. It's normal to eat a meal without counting your macros sometimes. It's normal to eat less nutrient dense foods. It's normal to eat ice cream or French fries or pizza, or the foods that you love. It's normal to eat what you want when you want to eat it. This doesn't mean that you suck. This doesn't mean that you failed. This doesn't mean that you need to feel guilty or that you need to make up for the "damage" that you did. You didn't do any damage.
You did nothing that you need to feel guilty for. And most importantly, you did not fail. You're living your life and sometimes you're not going to nourish your body the exact way that you wish you could. That's life. It's okay. It's normal. Let it happen and move on. I always say this and will continue to say this, but consistent imperfect action compounds into lasting results. Let me repeat that again. Consistent imperfect action compounds into lasting results and these results will last long term. So please focus on that instead of trying so hard to be perfect and yet you're so inconsistent with that.
Okay. So let me recap those five ways to be more consistent with nourishing your body with what it needs. Number one, educate yourself on serving sizes. Number two, have some go-to meals and snacks and the ingredients ready in your house. Number three, don't try to eat clean at every meal, every single day. Number four, don't skip meals. And number five, realize that imperfection is normal. Again, if you want to learn more about the macro friendly recipes that I have available, you can go to juliealedbetter.com/recipe-guides. I will link that in the show notes below. You can either get the newest guide, which is from the Winter 2022 Honor Your Body Challenge or you can get the entire bundle for a discounted price. I appreciate you guys so much. I hope that this was helpful for you. I'd love to hear your aha moments from this episode. So be sure to screenshot this. You can post it up on your story.
If you have a community or a girlfriend or a friend or someone in your life that you feel like would benefit from this episode, you can share this direct link out with them in a text message or in a direct message. I appreciate you guys sharing these podcasts with other people. That is truly how we can spread the message of Embrace Your Real. Again, thanks so much for tuning in. I love you guys so much and I'll talk to you in the next episode.
All right, sister, that's all I got for you today. But I have two things that I need you to do. First thing, if you are not already following me on the Gram, be sure to do so, juliealedbetter, yes it's with an A in the middle, for that daily post workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks, and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing. Be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world. And I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace your real because you're worth it.