I had flare ups from ulcerative colitis for over 20 years. I no longer do. How is that possible? It’s possible because I changed my lifestyle. I take the time to prepare healthy meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Lifestyle changes work better with menu planning!
In days gone by if I was running late to work I’d make a quick pit stop and get a breakfast fast-food sandwich or I’d just skip breakfast all together. On the way home, I’d stop and grab a pizza, it’s fast, it’s easy and it’s terrible for your body. Living this way instigated colitis flare ups.
Think of your body as a high-performance machine. To work efficiently you want to use the best fuel for that machine.
Junk food and fast food are low-performance foods, full of preservatives and high fructose syrup. Put the best foods/fuels in your body not junk.
Why Lifestyle changes work better with Menu Planning
Planning a menu and a grocery list ensures all the ingredients are in the house to make the recipes on the menu. Having a few emergency meals in the freezer helps too. If you have a menu prepared for the week it’s easier to stay on track when making lifestyle changes.
Every Saturday I look at my schedule for the upcoming week. Tuesday nights I go to a meeting and get home around 7:15 – Tuesday night – leftovers or a fast meal. I keep on hand ingredients for my emergency meals that take 10 minutes to make.
A favorite dinner: Paleo tomato soup. Ingredients consist of tomato sauce, bone broth, nutritional yeast, honey, coconut cream and some spices. I always have these ingredients on hand. If I get home too late to make what’s on the menu tomato soup and Einkorn Drop Biscuits to the rescue!
Have a plan in place for the “Nothing went as planned” day. For your high-performance machine to work it needs to have excellent fuel. Planning will help keep you on track to nutritious homemade meals.
Without a plan disaster can strike, you reach in the fridge and you’re out of eggs. There goes the omelets or meatloaf.
How to Plan a Menu
Planning a menu takes time; learn more here. Look in your freezer and pantry to see what you have on hand. Try to mix up the protein. Chicken for 7 nights in a row gets old fast.
Smoothies for breakfast and soups for lunch leaves only one meal to cook every day. Putting all but the frozen ingredients in a glass the night before makes the morning smoothie simple. A big pot of soup or chili made on prep day makes work lunches a breeze.
Make something on your day off that takes more than an hour to make – roast chicken, pot roast, or a brisket. Leftovers are great for at least one meal during the week. Look at a sample menu here.
My husband loves breakfast for dinner. Whip up an omelet or frittata for supper. These can be made much faster than waiting in line at the drive thru.
Make a menu then the grocery list. Go to the store and only buy what’s on the list. You have a plan with the emergency built in. Have fun playing in the kitchen, try new foods, I promise your body will thank you. Enjoy!
Existing Newsletter Members, click here to download! Enter the password.
Download the free menu samples, just subscribe.
Leave a Reply