March 31, 2020
Cleaning Up Your Eating Habits: Spring Clean Your Diet
The spring season is right around the corner, making it a wonderful time to clean-up your diet and start over with healthy choices.
When the news of staying home and Shelter-in-Place broke to stop the spread of COVID-19, many of us turned to comfort food to console ourselves. Rich, warm, cheesy comfort foods can help mental health temporarily, but in the long run will have the opposite effect. We may feel lethargic, have digestive issues, gain weight, and compromised immune health due to the lack of vitamins and minerals in these kinds of foods.
Now is a great time to spring clean your diet, and bounce back from overindulging! Without the temptation of social dining occasions or gatherings with friends where you’re surrounded by snacks and other unhealthy choices, you can have more control over your diet than ever before. How is that for a silver lining?
How to Clean Up Your Eating Habits: Spring Clean Eating
Start with cleaning everything out
Pull out all of the food from your pantry, and clean and reorganize. Put any “tempting” foods (like chips, boxes of macaroni and cheese, etc.) on the highest shelves or in the back and out of reach. (Nurture healthy choices into reality by creating friction for habits you are trying to break.) Now it’s time to clean out the refrigerator. Toss any expired or moldy foods, wipe down all shelves and drawers. Put fresh foods in the front, right in front of your face so that you see them the moment you open the door.
Get prepping
Use the extra time at home to set yourself up for clean eating success. Chop and prepare foods that you want to eat as snacks, and keep them front and center in your refrigerator. Pre-chop lettuce, fresh vegetables, and portion out cups of fresh fruit. You’ll be more likely to grab a healthy snack if they’re all ready to go.
Replace fillers with functional nutrients
Although rice, breads, pasta, tortillas, and canned beans keep well for a long time, they are very filling and not terribly nutrient-dense. Many stores are still well stocked with plenty of produce, so replace fillers with hearty vegetables as a base for meals instead. Here are some great substitutions:
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Spaghetti squash
Slice the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Slice again in half lengthwise to make 4 pieces. Drizzle with oil and season with salt, and place cup-side-down on a cookie sheet. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool, then use a fork to shred into a bowl. Wonderful in place of noodles! -
Sweet potatoes
Rather than causing a spike in blood sugar (as regular white potatoes do), these potatoes are filled with nutrition and fantastic under eggs for breakfast, or seasoned with chili powder as a base for Mexican dishes. -
Cauliflower
Pulse this cruciferous vegetable in a food processor and you can make your own grain-free “rice”! Cauliflower rice cooks quickly in a pan and is a simple substitute for anything calling for rice or quinoa. -
Zucchini
This squash makes an excellent base as “zoodles” (zucchini noodles). Just saute in a pan with a little bit of grass-fed butter and a sprinkling of True Lemon Pepper and you have a delicious base to any meal.
Cut sodium with herbs and salt-free seasonings
Eating too much salt increases your risk of hypertension and heart disease, so this is a great time to start cutting back. Use fresh herbs to add flavor to food, and instead of adding salt while cooking just sprinkle it on top at the very end (you’ll use much less). Try any of our True Citrus Seasoning Blends to add plenty of bright and delicious flavors without the sodium.
Swap alcoholic drinks for True Citrus
Alcohol can be a way to numb ourselves from facing our feelings and emotions during difficult times. Unfortunately, drinking alcohol regularly can lead to disrupted sleep and even depression, along with a host of other issues. There are a number of great ways to cut back on your alcohol consumption, and True Citrus drink packets are a healthy and satisfying way to substitute.
There is no better time than right now to regain control of your diet, and your healthy lifestyle. When you re-balance physical health with good food choices, plenty of exercise, and quality sleep, your mental health will greatly improve as well. It’s more important than ever to stay positive during these uncertain times, and we’re here to support you in living your best and healthiest life!
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True Citrus products are proven to encourage you to drink more water, so try any of our delicious flavors in your glass or water bottle to stay hydrated all year long.
About True Citrus:
We have a Live True Promise that applies to everything we do: use the best, truest ingredients in our products, and bring our customers the highest quality in citrus flavors, drink mixes, and salt-free seasoning blends. We are also devoted to providing the support and guidance our customers need to be as healthy and happy as possible throughout every facet of their lives.
How True Citrus Goes Above and Beyond:
We have created our line of better-for-you products with your health in mind, and without compromising on taste. You’ll only find simple and clean ingredients in True Citrus products! You will never find: chemicals, sodium, gluten, GMO’s, artificial flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives in our products. You will find: bright natural flavors from real citrus oils, a delightful array of flavors, and products that are either unsweetened, lightly sweetened with all-natural Stevia (sugar-free), salt-free, low calorie, or 0-calorie.