--- title: "Getting Healthy: I Know WHAT To Do, I Just Don't Do It!" entity: "blog" canonical_url: "https://www.embernaturopathic.com/blog/getting-healthy-i-know-what-to-do-i-just-don-t-do-it" markdown_url: "https://www.embernaturopathic.com/llms/blog/getting-healthy-i-know-what-to-do-i-just-don-t-do-it" lastmod: "2022-02-11T16:00:00.000Z" --- ## Introduction Many of our patients already know WHAT to eat, how to exercise, and many other things that they could be doing for their physical and mental health and energy but have trouble making it a reality. Home cooking from scratch is becoming a rarity in many homes as the kids' schedules can make it impossible. Cooking skills are becoming lost. Instant pots and air fryers are our best friends. ## The Importance of Energy and Motivation The way you FEEL influences your actions. Just having the knowledge of what you should eat or do for your health does not mean you will do it. You need the energy and motivation. Why would you drag yourself into spending 1-2 hours in the kitchen when you are exhausted, when you can throw chicken nuggets and fries into the oven and be done with it, or order in- it's fine once in a while right? Until it's not just once in a while, and you find yourself in a cycle of eating crap because you're too tired to cook and then not feeling well because you eat like crap. ## The 80/20 Rule At Ember, we like the 80/20 rule: aim to follow your ideal diet and lifestyle habits 80% of the time, and be flexible to allow things to go off the rails about 20% of the time when things come up as they always do. ## Tips for Making Healthy Eating and Cooking a Reality Here are some tips that may help you stay on the wagon: - You knew I was going to say it: meal prepping, batch cooking, and freezer meals. Whenever you can make extra food and save it for later, do it. If you can take some time every week to plan your meals in-depth, you will be happy for it. Is there someone you can share this task with? - Make ONE healthy change at a time and let it become a habit before starting something else. This could be starting your day with a glass of water before your coffee, having a nutrient-dense breakfast every morning or some mornings of the week, or implementing one supplement into your day. - Create a Pinterest board or binder of healthy recipes that you've tried and LIKED that you can turn to for quick meal and grocery list planning. Add to this as you try new meals. - If there are some days where you HAVE to eat out, plan in advance where you will go so you are not tempted by not-so-great options. Then keep going back to that spot in the future. - Identify if some of your typical snack foods could use a healthy swap (the kids' snacks too!)- this helps you lose the guilt if you have a mostly-snacks day. - Consider using a food delivery service a couple of days a week, or pick up (or have delivered) ready-to-cook meals from a great spot like Supper Studio in Calgary and Okotoks. - Buy pre-prepared fruit and vegetables. - Make "one-pot" or "sheet pan" meals. - Enlist a partner or friend, or check in regularly with a doctor or health coach on your milestones- studies show that having an accountability buddy improves compliance with any health change. - Can you take anything OFF your plate so that the whole family can slow down and enjoy some home cooking or do more self-care activities? Even though you KNOW you will feel better after doing these things, it is SO easy to let them slide in the moment. Think about treating your health goals like you treat your work or other life goals… - You can’t cancel on the kids’ obligations. - You can’t cancel on the household chores, though they might get put off for a bit- looking at you laundry! - You can’t cancel on work obligations if you have them, you must manage your time to get your tasks done. Additional effort and planning is also needed to develop healthy habits. Managing our health and vitality is only going to improve your performance in all the other areas of your life and sometimes letting other areas take a backseat while you sort out your health is worth it in the long run! Go do that workout, the laundry can wait. Let us know if you've tried any of these tips and how it went for you! Have more ideas for us? Share them in the comments! Need accountability? The practitioners at Ember are here to help you reach your goals in the most efficient way.