Welcome to the summer! For many it’s a natural time of reflection into those commitments from the New Year that may have included transitioning some or all of your diet to a more vibrant meal plan. This is an important time to renew your commitments to your optimal health for the rest of the year. For some of us we may get so wrapped up in the process of creating dietary restrictions that we forget to enjoy the process. Here are a few steps to inspire you to keep moving and make your healthy eating journey more enjoyable.

5 Steps to Enjoying Your Journey to Healthier Foods

1)  Take on a Food Adventure Daily: Mix, chop, dice, slice, and get going in your own kitchen. Food adventures are about trying something new, about releasing your fears, and about connecting intuitively to your food. So combine flavors you like, pick vibrant fruits and vegetables that inspire you and dare I say “dance” in your kitchen while you prepare the food! Explore new ingredients and dishes that you feel can lead to a healthy eating plan.

2)  Remember the benefits: You may pick blueberries because you know they are high in oxidants or spinach for protein. Before you stop to enjoy your food, take a moment to celebrate all that you are doing to support your own optimal health. Before you eat, recount the benefits of your food or simply affirm: This is the perfect food choice for my vibrant health.

3)  Share your experience with a friend: Are you excited about the opportunity for renewed health and wellness in your body through your food choices? Chances are you may have a friend looking for the same experience. Share a fun new recipe from your kitchen with a friend. When you share the experience your results are amplified and oftentimes you may find a renewed sense of joy in inspiring the journey for another human being.

4)  Find gratitude in your journey: Tired of worrying about your food as you transition your diet? Feeling deprived from some of your old favorites when making the transition to a more vibrant lifestyle? That’s okay. There is no growth without change and there is no change without grief.  It’s a natural part of the process of moving forward. Whenever you have lapses in your commitment to wellness, take a moment and think of three things you are grateful for. It can be anything! It’s even more powerful if some of these include the benefits you have been experiencing by shifting your diet.

5)  Create milestones for future celebration: It’s easy to keep moving forward when we feel a sense of accomplishment. Create some intermittent milestones for yourself that you can celebrate as a powerful reminder of where you have been and where you are going. For some, you may need a daily reminder.  For others, maybe a week without a chocolate bar is the perfect way to remember the positive momentum you are creating.