Eating Healthy is Not a Diet

"If you care about your health and are willing to prioritize it, then you need to start to believe that you are a healthy person. It starts with self-narrative." Adam Bornstein

The key to healthier eating isn’t about strict restrictions—it's about planning, enjoying your meals, removing temptations, and finding balance.

Years ago, when I was living in Chad, essentials like butter, bread, eggs, and meat were hard to come by. It was easy to reach for candy and processed foods, but I realized that wasn’t the path I wanted to take. I remember looking at a giant gummy bear I had ordered online and thinking, "This isn’t what I should be eating." That was a turning point for me. I decided to embrace local, real food and cut out ultra-processed snacks. I even gave up soda and started indulging in the fresh, local fruits instead. The vegetables weren’t always appealing, but with a little balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and garlic, I made them work. And let me tell you, the local avocados and mangos were lifesavers!

Growing up, my mom cooked every meal from scratch. If she didn’t cook, our only snacks were apples, veggies, and pickled foods stored in the basement. It’s funny now, thinking that those canned foods are considered "fast food," especially given how long they took to prepare.

My upbringing taught me a valuable lesson: if I wanted to stay healthy, I needed to adopt a similar lifestyle. Now, living in the city, I can’t grow my own vegetables or raise chickens, but I make an effort to buy the best quality produce and meats available.

Healthy eating doesn’t mean giving up everything you love. I’ve given up ultra-processed sweets like gummy bears, but I still enjoy homemade desserts. Quality chocolate, chocolate croissants, tiramisu, and cheesecake—these are my go to treats, that I don’t keep around the house. I’ve learned that some foods, like dried mangos, are triggers for me. If I have them at home, I can’t stop eating them. Recognizing these triggers helps me avoid them. When I do buy dried mangos, it’s a rare indulgence, and I enjoy them guilt-free.

The secret to sustaining healthy eating habits is to enjoy what you eat.

1. Buy the healthy foods you like.

2. Cook healthy meals that are satisfying for you.

3. Leave room for the dessert.

4. Eat slow.

   
   

As an exercise I suggest you write down the healthy veggies, fruits, grains, fats and proteins you enjoy eating. Plan your meals around protein, vegetables and grains and don't forget to leave room for dessert. Looking at what you've written down, it's time to come up with a few meals you can enjoy on repeat that would be satisfying and easy to maintain.

Here are a few meals I eat.

BREAKFAST:

Yogurt + berries

Protein Oatmeal + walnuts

Eggs + veggies

LUNCH:

Dinner Leftovers

Eggs + Avo Toast

Cottage Cheese + walnuts & berries

DINNER:

Chicken noodle soups

Steak with mushrooms

Baked Salmon or Sea bass with salad + farro