Food Plan – A permanent lifestyle change for long lasting health through a functional medicine approach

Eating Healthy in Nashville TN: Succeeding with your new food plan

Hi, I’m Holly and I’m a Functional Medicine certified health coach here at Welliom in beautiful Nashville TN.  Today, I want to take some time to talk to you about how to succeed with the food plan that the doctor has prescribed for you.  We use the term “Food Plan” because the term “diet” infers something that is a fad or something that you come off from.  We want to emphasize that these are lifestyle changes to improve your health.  Whether it’s the Elimination Food Plan, The ReNew Food Plan or even the Core Food Plan, chances are that a few (or several) foods that you love won’t be on the “yes” list.  And, that might leave you wondering what the heck you can eat!  Well, I am here to help you navigate your food plan.

The first thing I want to share with you is the power of food. We now know that food is more than calories….food is information, interacting with the things in your body to either drive health or create illness.  We in the Functional Medicine world know first-hand just how powerful food can be in your healing journey. That is why a food plan is front and center in your treatment plan.

Now that you are on-board with the power of food, let’s get to your plan.  If you’re like me, you like to know why you are being asked to follow a certain plan.  Sometimes knowing the reason you are supposed to be doing something can help you follow through with it.  That’s why I recommend that you first read the “Comprehensive Guide” to the food plan that your doctor has shared with you.  This will take maybe 30 to 45 minutes and will give you a really detailed overview about why this plan has been chosen for you.

Next, take look at the actual plan, which looks like a list of foods.  This is essentially your shopping list for the duration of your food plan.  You might start by sitting with this list and highlighting all the foods on the list that you love or know I like.  Then, cross off the things you know you won’t eat.  Next, look at what’s left – maybe things you’ve never heard of, or things you haven’t tried and realize this is a chance to expand your palette.  If you’ve never tried coconut yogurt, now might be a great time to start.  Same for almond milk or sauerkraut. 

Then, go ahead and look at the meal plans that have been carefully designed to align with the food plan.  If you don’t cook, think of things that you can get out that look similar to what’s in the meal plan.  Or, think about learning how to cook, which is an essential skill for a life of wellness.  Eating out is getting better, but it’s expensive and still not the same quality that you can get at home.  Plus, you have more control over what’s really in your food if you prepare it at home.  You also might want to look online for websites that feature “Paleo” or “Whole Foods” recipes or even “gluten free” (though careful with this one as there is a lot of unhealthy gluten free food out there).

Finally, it’s all about having the right mindset and motivation to make this happen.  Embrace that this food plan will probably allow the imbalances in your body to rebalance and recreate health. Then get in touch with what you really, really want your health for – your work, your kids, your hobbies, your family, travel, giving back to the world – whatever makes you sing.  Then keep this in mind – try to find a way to connect yourself to this reason for being healthy and following this food plan on a daily basis.  Having that reminder might be all you need to be able to make it through the food plan and to feeling better.

This might sound great, but if you are still feeling lost or needing more support around following your food plan, schedule a time to meet with me and we’ll figure it out together.  Enjoy your culinary exploration and I’ll see you next time!