Nancy Mehlert, MS

Ready to leave the COVID 19 Pandemic behind you?  It seems like a lot of people are ready for the quarantined life to be over. 

I’ve been thinking about what happens to our nutrition at times like these, and I think it has been different, for different people. I know many who have stayed the course, gotten more exercise and smoothly sailed through, in terms of nutrition at least.  And others, who have found the stresses dragging them back to old habits, comfort food, and drinks.  We are all different.  We struggle in different ways.

It is common for major life changes to get in the way of our best laid nutritional plans.

May I encourage you to be kind to yourself? There is no use in beating yourself up or drowning in guilt.  These times have been, and continue to be, difficult. It is hard to find anyone who thinks this is an easy time.  The complexities of caring for the elderly, schooling children, staying employed, and all working under the same roof 24-7 – none of this is easy stuff, individually or collectively.  

But as we see some possible light at the end of this tunnel, now is a good time to take stock and organize your thoughts in a positive, GO FORWARD mind set.  It is a good time to figure out how to GO FORWARD in confidence and make some corrections to course where needed.  Here are some productive and healthy things to do in the next couple of weeks as we hopefully emerge from this quarantine:

• If you feel like your nutritional wheels totally fell off the wagon, have you discovered something valuable from the experience? We learn from our mistakes. What’s yours?  What would you do differently next time as a key learning point?  Then, forgive yourself, and GO FORWARD.

• What have you done well? Look hard. Find at least one thing.  There is something good to be discovered.  Give yourself credit for that one thing. GO FORWARD with that good thing.

• Talk to friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. Ask them how they have coped nutritionally during this strange time and learn from their successes and mistakes. Take a new idea, a new recipe, a new habit, and GO FORWARD with it tucked into your steps.

• Start now to pull your nutritional boundaries back into place, one thing at a time. Start with just one thing and do it (or stop it).  Then choose the next thing.  GO FORWARD in positive and affirming ways that will help you transition smoothly into the next season of life.

• Reach out if you need help with course correction. Perhaps a detoxification program would be in order, or a nutrition consultation to revitalize your menu plans with a few easy recipes.  Or maybe some ONDAMED sessions and/or IR Saunas to reinvigorate your energy pathways and detoxify.

• Resolve to take one new good habit into the future with you. I’ve started to use Stasher® Bags for food storage and Swedish dishcloths (shop@threebluebirds.com) , both of which make me happier and less wasteful in the kitchen. Take a look at our revised and updated Highway to Health and Health Reset Protocol Cookbook where you will find helpful reminders and plenty of ideas for healthy eating. Let’s GO FORWARD TOGETHER!