Today I want to share 3 super easy action steps you can take RIGHT NOW to make a big difference in your health and weight loss for the long term. Those simple steps don't require discipline, self-control, nor motivation. You don’t even need time on your hands!
This list of 3 tricks comes from a study* that was done in 2015 by researchers at Cornell University. Researchers looked at 200 kitchen in Syracuse, NY, and established a clear link between what was present in a kitchen and the weight of the women who lived there..
You know I am not a “quick-fix” type of Nutrition Coach. When you work with me, you are in for a profound change in your lifestyle. And yet, it doesn’t mean that it has to be hard or complicated. I want things to be simple and easily achievable, so that you can pile up successes, day after day, whether you want to lose weight, reverse prediabetes, or do both at once, like most of my clients.
Here is what I want you to do today.
1/ Move soft drinks out of sight
If there is anything to drink on your counter that is not helping you reach your wellness goals, put it away. It might be soda, sweetened iced tea, but also wine, beer... Pretty much anything that contains calories and is drinkable. I am not saying you should throw it away and not drink it ever again. I am just saying: “Don’t leave it on your counter!”.
In the Cornell study, researchers found out that women who kept soft drinks on their counter were on average 24 to 26 pounds heavier than their neighbors who didn’t.
Why wouldn’t you want to stack all the odds in your favor, right? So, go ahead, and put that soda away!
2/ Store boxes of cereals in a cupboard
The 2015 study made it clear that women who had a box of cereals on their counter were heavier that women who didn’t. They were actually 20 pounds heavier on average! Cereals are sneaky. Because we often think of them as “healthy”, especially if the package claims that they are rich in fibers, made with whole grain, etc. By the way, anything that has less than 5 g of fiber in a portion, is really not that rich in fibers. Keep that in mind!
So, if there are cereals on your counter, put them away! And while you are at it, do the same with snack food in general. If it’s not helping you, you don’t need to see it every time you step into your kitchen. It's that simple.
3/ Set a bowl of fruit on your counter
Now that you have removed cereals, snacks, and beverages, you have more room on your counter top, right? So grab a bowl and fill it up with fruits. All colors, all sizes, all shapes… Whatever you can find and afford. Cornell’s researchers established that women who had a fruit bowl on their counter were on average 13 pounds lighter than their neighbors who didn’t.
We have all heard about the “see-food diet” right? We eat what we see. So make sure you are not seeing foods that are not helping you reach your goals, and you will do yourself (and your family!) and big favor.
What else can you change in your kitchen?
If you want more ideas of things you can change in your kitchen so that you promote healthy eating behaviors and weight loss, you’re in luck! I have put together a list of 25 steps you can take to make your kitchen an ally in your health and wellness journey rather than a silent enemy.
Grab my checklist and discover 25 Tips to rearrange your kitchen so that it supports your health and weight loss efforts.
Maybe you are thinking “Oh, I am fine, my kitchen is already the way it should be”. That might be right, and if it's the case, congratulations! But if you are open to getting confirmation of your intuition, you can take a super quick quiz that will tell you how “healthy” your kitchen actually is.
I have seen many people be extremely surprised by their kitchen's results! And to be honest, even though I have been working on making my environment as healthy as possible for about 25 years, I still found a few things that I could improve in my kitchen and I have included them in the quiz and in the checklist.
Now, DO what you have to do. No step is too small to push you forward... but if you don't take that tiny step, nothing will ever happen.
Not sure how to be healthier?
Do you feel overwhelmed by all there is to do to live a healthy life? Why don't we hop on a call to try and sort things out together? I am adding 5 extra slots for a Free Discovery Session this month. They'll be gone fast, so make sure you grab your opportunity now! Sometimes, a phone call and some "outsider" insight is all it takes to get on the right track.
*If you want to learn how “What’s on your countertop might predict your weight”, read the article on the Cornell University website.