Nutrition Solutions

It's Week 3 of National Nutrition Month: Stay Nourished on Any Budget

⭐Learn cooking and meal preparation skills that work with the resources you have.
⭐Locate community resources such as SNAP, WIC and local food banks.
⭐Advocate for nutrition policies that serve you, your family and community.

One of the biggest complaints I hear is “it’s too expensive to eat healthy.” I know it can feel that way, but I promise there are options that can fuel you without breaking your budget!

A few tips to get you started:

✅Have a plan
When you have a plan for what the family is going to eat every day, you’re less likely to make last-minute decisions to order takeout or to eat out. Meal planning doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, your meal plan should center around the foods your family regularly enjoys. Prior to each week, choose dinners and recipes that fit everyone’s tastes and that are easy to prepare in the time you’ll have for meal prep.

✅Make a shopping list
Keep a running list that includes all ingredients for meals you plan to make, so you’ll be completely prepared to cook dinners all week without having to run to the grocery store at the last minute.

✅Know what you have on hand
Keep a running inventory of the food you have in your fridge, freezer, and pantry, and make an ongoing grocery list for items as you run out of them. This can help you avoid spending money on items you already have.

✅Shop smart
Never go shopping when you’re hungry; almost everything looks tempting then. Consider buying some items in bulk to save money, as long as you’ll use the food before its expiration date. Shop carefully from your list, and try not to be tempted by impulse items. If shopping with family members means lots of impulse buys, shop alone.

✅Go for generic
Generic doesn’t mean inferior. You an save a lot of money over time by buying the less expensive brands.

You can nourish yourself and your family—even on a tight budget! If you need more personalized help, reach out to me.

I'm always on the look out for resources and tools to help you on your health journey. Lately, I’ve been learning from a program I personally joined and am finding really helpful — The Nervous System Journaling Club with Leah Davidson (Speech-Language Pathologist + nervous system coach). It’s a creative, supportive space that helps you:

*Understand your stress patterns
*Learn about your nervous system
*Improve the effects of stress on your body
*Calm your body in real time
*Build healthier responses to overwhelm
*Create a more compassionate relationship with your body

Leah's program is centered on understanding and caring for your nervous system--something that we often don't think about. But learning how to calm your nervous system can be the key to overcoming emotional eating, decreasing inflammation in your body, and just feeling better overall!

And November is a great time to join — there’s a 30-day Play Experiment happening all month long to help us add more ease, fun, and relief into our days. Joining her club for only $59 per year was the best $59 I've ever spent. :) Leah packs her community TONS of resources: group chats and message boards, monthly live zoom calls, journaling prompts, and bonus programs (for example, a course for treating IBS)!

If you decide to join me in Leah's community, click on this link:

https://www.skool.com/nervous-system-journaling-club/about?ref=19e3feba918e4260acb21b76fdb1390e

I hope to see you in the community where we can continue to learn together about calming our nervous systems, recover from stress, connect with others, and use our creativity.

Nervous System Journaling Club Stuck in survival mode? Learn to regulate your nervous system through journaling & doodling - guided by an SLP + coach with 25+ yrs of experience 🧠

I recently listened to a podcast about "capacity" vs. "capability." This life coach mentioned that she believes her students have unlimited capability to achieve amazing goals. They are however, limited by capacity. This really spoke to me. I could relate in my own life. At times I have felt like I was capable to do more, I just didn't have the mental energy or the space to do it (=capacity).

Here is an example from my life. I am a runner (or used to be!). I even achieved a life-long goal and ran a marathon about 10 years ago. I started running when I was a teenager and it was part of my identity. I was proud to be a runner and planned on running until I was too old to run anymore. As life felt crazy over the last several years, I stopped running. And when I stopped running I felt like I lost a part of my identity. As bad as I felt about it, I just didn't have the capacity to add running back to my life. I felt like I had so much going on in my life, I couldn't keep up with one more "hard" thing. Until a month ago...

My sweet husband had been hinting to me that we should pick up running again. I was so reluctant. I thought of every excuse for why I couldn't make it work in my life right now. I knew it was going to be hard and painful. I wanted to reclaim that part of myself and experience all the benefits. I just wasn't sure if I had the capability and the capacity. I had to do a lot of self-talk to convince myself that I was capable. And then after being honest with myself, I felt like my life felt pretty settled and I finally had the capacity to put the mental and physical energy into doing something difficult. Reluctantly and apprehensively I laced up my shoes and we went for a run one afternoon 4 weeks ago. It hurt. It was hot. It was hard. I wanted to throw up. And I did it. About 10 min after the run was over I felt the "runner's high" which I had completely forgotten about. I felt energized, proud, and ready to tackle the next part of my day. I was reminded why I loved running!

Running has reminded me of my strength and that I have the capability to reach my goals. It has reminded me that I can make space for things that are important to me. Now don't get me wrong...I still wine and complain sometimes :), it still hurts, and it is still hard. I just remind myself of all the benefits: the endorphins, how strong I feel, the pride, and the sense of accomplishment.

So, how does this apply to you? I believe you have the capability to achieve your goals and improve your health. I believe you can expand your capacity for achieving your goals and your health. I think you are stronger than you think you are.

Me and my 4 amazing and capable dietitians are here for YOU. We are ready to take you to the next level and help you achieve better health and a better life!

We accept all major insurance plans and most cover nutrition 100%! We offer in person appointments (in Southern Alabama and Southeast Texas) and virtual. Please don't wait...you are capable and you can have the capacity if you choose.

The process is easy to get started: send an email with your name, date of birth, and insurance information to [email protected]. (Or message me and I'll have her contact you.) My amazing and capable assistant, Nheve, will check your insurance benefits and then call you to schedule.

I'd love to hear what you are working on and what's on your mind. What goals do you have this fall?

I was so surprised and pleased to have a local church stop by and give me valentine cookies. They were dropping them off at local businesses. Some people think dietitians don’t eat sweets. But this dietitian has a huge sweet tooth. I can thank my dad for it. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!