The first day of the week can be a daunting prospect with so much undone ahead of you. Look at it from another point of view, though, and Monday is a perfect day for starting new habits and striving towards new goals.

If you ask around the office here at Integrative Nutrition, our goals include many small intentions, like exercising more often, accomplishing creative projects, learning a new skill or language, and keeping our apartments cleaner.

These goals can fall through the cracks, though, because they seem too ambitious or maybe we just forget to work on them. They would be much more manageable if broken up into small chunks. So why not resolve to work towards these goals a little bit everyday?

Are you or anyone you know trying to change your diet and eat healthier? Checking labels and asking what’s in the food on the menu? That’s great, but there’s a simple healthy habit that many American’s are forgetting about when it comes to eating better.

Food and health journalist and author of Food Matters, Mark Bittman, brings up a good point in his recent New York Times article looking at American eating habits—we hardly cook for ourselves! In his words, “Real food is cooked by real people!” It doesn’t seem surprising that real people are cooking less than ever before.

Cooking is becoming a skill of the past and many Americans barely know where to begin. Not knowing the basics of cooking sets us up for perpetuating the “convenience” habit of getting take-out, fast food and relying on heavily processed foods.

The easiest way to eat healthfully and control your diet is to make or prepare the food you eat for yourself (and/or your family). This way you know what you are putting into your body and you also can focus on eating combinations of whole foods (items with the least amount of processing). The average American clocks in 35 hours of television a week (ironically much of it spent watching cooking shows), so it doesn’t appear that lack of time is the real reason why people don’t cook.

If you don’t feel confident about cooking in your kitchen or living space, try to figure out how you can increase your cooking habits. You might even find that you get great satisfaction and actually enjoy preparing your own food. There are plenty of resources online that offer great recipes and educational videos on how to properly cook different kinds of foods and simple ways to prepare whole meals quickly. Check out this video of graduate and Top Chef Andrea Beaman!  

It can often be more gratifying to eat something that you’ve made, plus you can make something exactly how you like it. Cooking your own food doesn’t need to be complicated and it doesn’t need to take a lot of time. Check out Integrative Nutrition’s recipe collection for some simple, delicious recipes that will nourish your body and make your taste buds happy.

In the end it will save your health and your money!

Do you have any cooking tips to share?

We all know the right food can contribute greatly to your health. But many of us aren’t always eating to nourish our bodies. Life gets in the way. Whether it’s time, traditions, relationships or emotions, many factors contribute to unhealthy eating habits.

A recent Prevention magazine article outlines some ways to work around these triggers so you can live a happier, healthier life.

Avoid banning foods. Restricting foods will just lead to bingeing. Instead, incorporate more whole foods so you have less room for processed, junk foods.

Open Communication. If your friends or family are being negative toward your health goals, tell them. Be clear about your intentions and let them know of ways they can support you.

Make room for healthy habits. If you spend most of your time on the run, find time a couple days a week to cook healthy meals, or fit in some exercise.

Make new traditions. Food has become a way to stay connected. Think about it. Every holiday you get together with friends and family to sit around a table of rich food. Whether it’s your mom’s pumpkin pie or sweet-potato-and-marshmallow casserole find one that really matters and keep it on the menu. You probably don’t need both.

Focus together time on non-food fun. Instead of an all-you-can-eat buffet with your family think of other fun activities, like going for a hike or playing board games. Food does not have to be the only thing that brings you together with friends and family.

And a tip from Integrative Nutrition:

You are not alone. All great athletes have coaches, so why not get a health buddy or coach? Find someone in your life to support you in achieving your goals. Many times, we try to hide out and do it all alone. When you share your goals with others, you have greater accountability and you might even inspire those around you.

Who is your health buddy?