Food as a Medium of Self-Love
first of all: small steps are important! pushing yourself too hard and striving for the Perfect Diet\ can lead to burnout. don't stress too hard about it! here is my favorite blog on the planet and while all of leo's articles are worth a read, this one really embodies how I feel about food. basically, it can be nearly impossible to start out doing a million things at once, so doing the bare minimum step you need to get started can be a good way to ease yourself in!
try having a green smoothie for breakfast a few times a week (they're tasty, I promise!)--toss some spinach (not lettuce, which might taste funky), yogurt or milk, a banana, some berries, and a tiny squeeze of honey into a blender and process until it's smooth. (here are some great recipes for inspiration! it's also my favorite food blog; check it out) don't feel like you have to go out and start restocking your fridge immediately, but picking up some plant-based protein powder can be a good way to add healthy proteins into your day. ground flax seed, one of my favorite ingredients, is available at most grocery stores and adds tons of fiber and good oils.)
I think the most important advice I can give is to eat eclectically! the more foods you try, the greater the variety of nutrients you'll consume, filling any gaps or vitamin deficiencies you might be sustaining. there are tons of incredible foods out there waiting to make their way into your next dinner! if you don't like cooking, again, start out small. learn basic techniques like sautéing and steaming (google and youtube are your best friends here!), and work your way up into more complicated dishes.
one of my favorite ways to serve a vegetable is to chop up about a third of an onion and a clove of garlic, saute them together in a pan until the onion is translucent (this makes a great base for almost everything), and then add diced or sliced pieces of whatever vegetable I have on hand. squashes, peppers, and mushrooms work well for this. serve over spinach or add in some rinsed canned beans or cooked grains and you have a filling, hearty meal that will 1. last you for hours and 2. be easy on your stomach! there are tons of variations on this basic formula, for example this avocado based plate (one of my favorites!) or this sun-dried tomato pasta. feel free to experiment! if you've never tried tofu or tempeh, its fermented cousin,
being kind to your body is a holistic, all-encompassing process that doesn't just include your food intake--exercise is important too! take a short walk around your neighborhood when you get home from school or early in the morning to get your blood pumping and increase focus and brainpower. take a trip to the farmer's market when it opens and scope out some vegetables you've never tried before, then find a cool recipe for them online or in a cookbook and make it. have a pool? go for a swim. have a friend with a pool? mooch. it's less about cutting the bad things and activities and food out of your life and more about crowding them out with good, fun, tasty things, I think--at least that's what works for me personally!
in conclusion:
center lots of meals around plants and plant-based foods
but that doesn't mean you have to swear off of other foods! I'm a vegan, and I really don't know a lot about food preparation of dairy, eggs, or meat, but each of those food groups can have a place on a healthy plate. resources in books and on websites can give a good summary of how!
small steps! treat yourself with kindness and respect but don't feel like you have to become the number one contributor to the health food store's bank account by next tuesday. start with the minimum and ease your way in.
listen to yourself! pay attention to how you feel when you eat. if something doesn't feel good, it probably isn't.
you're the most important person here! remember that and act accordingly and you'll do just fine.
