I have learned over the last several years (and it really shouldn’t have been a shock to me) that the healthier I eat, the better I feel. I have more energy, I recover faster from workouts & runs, and overall my body “feels” better. By the time we become adults, we know these things but it’s when you choose to start LIVING this lifestyle that you truly KNOW them.
I’m not a “clean eater”, I’m not vegan or vegetarian, I don’t eat only organic foods, but I eat smart! I use the My Fitness 
Pal app on my phone (also available in web form) to track my calories, sugar & fat intake, etc. The great thing about MFP is that it will tell you if a food is high in sugar, fats, etc. It will also tell you when you are getting close to (or exceed) your set intakes for the day! You can also track your physical activity in it as well. This helps you to track everything you put in your body as well as the energy you expend when you work out. If you track what you put in your mouth, you become a lot more conscious about what you eat.
Finding balance in what you eat is important as well. Let’s take breakfast for example…would I love to eat donuts, cinnamon rolls, muffins, bacon, etc for breakfast every morning? Heck YES! But, if I eat those things EVERY morning I can tell. A lot of foods in our world today that people deem as “breakfast foods” hold no good calories or energy. These are considered empty calories and the first 
three foods that I listed would be prime examples of those types of food. Think about it…you eat a donut for breakfast and an hour later, you’re still hungry? There was nothing of quality in that donut to give your body energy. Oatmeal, egg whites, yogurt, Greek yogurt, etc are great sources of energy for your body! Greek yogurt has a higher amount of protein in it than regular yogurt, so I’ve tried eating it a few times. I’d heard people rave about it and couldn’t do it…I didn’t like the consistency, I didn’t like the flavor (too close to sour cream for me). Recently, I purchased some Chobani Greek Yogurt (with fruit on the bottom). I took it to work with me and sat and stared at it. How was I going to eat this? So, I decided to experiment…I crumbled up my banana granola bar and stirred it in. This is now my new favorite breakfast meal! The protein in the granola as well as the yogurt satisfies me and gets me through to lunch, but the sweetness in both items also satisfies my sweet tooth that would rather be eating donuts!
Try new healthy foods. If you don’t like them, try them a different way! (Just don’t pour cheese sauce over all your vegetables). Find balance, don’t deprive yourself of treats. Sub out fatty treats for more lean sweets (I used to eat a brownie and milk every night and now I have that once or twice a week and have a bowl of cereal the other days. There is less fat and more whole grains in cereal!). Experiment with your food, look up healthy eating on Pinterest (you can follow my board, I’ve got tons on there). Explore the world of food. You might be surprised what you end up liking and love how great you feel!
I was not compensation in anyway by Chobani, Sunbelt Bakery, or My Fitness Pal to write this post. All thoughts, ideas, and opinions are my own.
