5 Ways to Improve Your Nutrition When Life is Overwhelming

September 6, 2023

Written By: Mairead, Registered Dietitian


September brings a return to routine for many of us. Whether you have kids going back to school, a more structured work schedule, or just the change of the season, many of us feel the need to get "back on track" with our nutrition. But that can be hard if you're in a very busy season, or if it just feel overwhelming to add anything else to your life right now.

Today we'll go through 5 ways low-stress ways you can improve your nutrition, even if everything feels overwhelming:

1. Pick one small thing to focus on for right now. Now make it even smaller! When changes feel too big, that's where we end up getting frustrated, especially if we're not able to stick with a big nutrition goal. By picking a smaller focus, we'll be more successful in reaching our goals, and then can build on it. Maybe your goal is to drink enough water since you've gotten out of the habit this summer. Instead of aiming for 8-10 glasses per day (or whatever your ideal goal would be), aim for 1 or 2 more glasses than you have right now. Yes, even if that only means 1 or 2 glasses per day. Once that's easy, you can always increase it. But you're more likely to stick with it than if you aimed for the full goal all at once. 

2. Go back to what's worked before! So many of us fall victim to the latest shiny object - the newest diet, the newest workout program, the newest supplement, the newest super food! Instead of reinventing the wheel, think back to times when you felt like your nutrition was better. What worked then that we can incorporate now? 

3. Work with the way your brain works! Different things work for different people. No matter how strange a strategy is, it's a good one if it work for you. Maybe to remember to take your supplements, you need to put them with your coffee cup. Maybe deciding what to eat is too overwhelming so you need to pick a theme for every night of the week to narrow things down. Maybe you need a water bottle that lights up to remind you to take a sip. Lean into what works for you!

4. Cut corners where you need to! In an ideal world, we would all have time to plan, prepare, cook, and eat beautiful and perfectly balanced meals at home. But we live in the real world. If the difference between having a vegetable with dinner and not is purchasing pre-cut vegetables on the way home from work, that's fine. If you need to use a meal kit service to cut down on your take out habit, great. If the only way you have tim to feed your family today is to order a pizza, but you can also grab a bagged salad, that works. All of these come at a slightly higher financial price, but can be ways to make nutrition a priority if it otherwise can't be.

5. Be realistic about where you're at! Now, this doesn't mean that you just give up on your healthy habits when things get a bit busy. But there are naturally times in our lives when it's easier to focus on your goals, and times when we have to be ok with doing the best we can. Doing the best you can will always get you further than giving up because you can't do a goal perfectly. Maybe you could eat better a couple years ago and you're getting frustrated that you can't now. But what is different now? Maybe you have a different job and your schedule is different. Maybe you have little kids now. Maybe your priorities are just different. That's all ok - but don't beat yourself up for not living up to standards that just aren't an option right now.

Looking for more low-stress nutrition advice? Let's chat! Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com to learn more about our Nutrition Programs, or click HERE to book your FREE Bite-Sized Nutrition Chat!

4 Super Simple Meal Prep Ideas!

August 8, 2025
Written By: Mairead, Registered Dietitian What comes to mind when you think of meal prep? Is it just plain chicken with rice and broccoli? If you love that as your meal prep, great! But many people don't want to be stuck eating the same thing over and over, or don't want to be assembling full meals ahead of time. Maybe you just don't know what you'll want to eat tomorrow, let alone later this week! What if we made meal prep easier? Instead of making whole meals, what if we made components of meals that could be put together in any number of different ways. This would allow us to still get healthy meals on the table fast, but not have to eat the same thing! Check out these 4 super simple ideas for meal components you can prep ahead of time! 1. Raw veggies! Most of us know we should be eating more veggies, but often they're the afterthought of a meal. Try keeping some washed and chopped raw veggies on hand to pair with your meals with little effort! Even taking a few minutes to cut up some carrot sticks can make a difference! Want to make it even easier? Choose veggies that don't need any further prep, like baby carrots, mini peppers, baby cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes. Or you can buy a pre-cut veggie tray! If the veggies are ready in the fridge, there's a better chance you'll eat them. 2. Proteins! Try cooking a bulk batch of a protein option or two that can be used in different ways. Cook chicken in your slow cooker and then use it for sandwiches, chicken salad, or stir-fry. Cook some ground meat on the stove and use it for pastas, burrito bowls, or tacos. Hard-boiled eggs can be quick snacks or top salads. Cooked beans can be used in place of any of these ideas! Want to make it even easier? Grab a cooked rotisserie chicken at the grocery store and skip having to cook it yourself! Canned beans and fish are also low-prep options. 3. Whole grains! Whole grains bring in more fibre and nutrition than their more processed counterparts, but can take a smidge more prep. Try cooking up a pot of your favourite grain, like brown rice, quinoa, or barley. Use these to make a filling salad, to pair with a stir-fry, or for a bowl-style meal! To make it even easier, check out the microwaveable options in the grocery store. There are many low-prep whole grain options out there that can be ready in minutes! 4. A fun sauce! What makes a meal more satisfying? A sauce! And when our healthy food tastes good, we're more likely to eat it. Healthy fats from our sauces actually help us absorb more of certain vitamins from our vegetables and fruit! Try whipping up a quick homemade salad dressing, salsa, peanut sauce, hummus, or veggie dip. A quick internet search will give you thousands of recipes, or you can wing it and taste as you go! Meal prep doesn't have to be fancy and take a lot of time, and it doesn't have to mean boring meals! Try one of these super simple ideas to make healthy eating easier this week! Looking for more personalized nutrition advice? Let's chat! Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com for more information about our Nutrition Programs, or click HERE to book your FREE Bite-Sized Nutrition Chat!

Just Start Somewhere!

July 23, 2025
Written By: Mairead, Registered Dietitian So often we put off making changes in our health and fitness because it's just so overwhelming. There's so much information out there and it feels like we need to do everything at once! Making big changes like joining a gym or overhauling your diet can be intimidating, even if we know how beneficial they would be. What if instead, we just started somewhere, right now? It doesn't have to be big or flashy. What's the smallest move you could make in the right direction today? Will one small change solve all your problems? Probably not. But one small change leads to another and another. And small changes maintained over time do improve your health overall. It's always better to do something than nothing! Here's some small changes you could try today or tomorrow to get the ball rolling: Not drinking enough water? Aim for one or two glasses more today. Want to eat healthier? Add and extra serving of vegetables or fruit today. Worried about your protein intake? See if you can include a source of protein at your meals today. Want to get moving? Go for a 10 minute walk at whatever pace feels good. The point isn't to tackle everything at once. The goal is to just start moving things in the right direction as you work towards your goals! Looking for more personalized nutrition advice? Let's chat! Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com for more information about our Nutrition Programs, or click HERE to book your FREE Bite-Sized Nutrition Chat!

How Exercise Can Change Your Day (For the Better!)

July 18, 2025
Written By: Coach Sienna Training your body through exercise can provide more benefits than just improving your physical health. It can also support emotional wellbeing, mindset, mood and mental health! As much as working out can physically be tiring and challenging. It also challenges your mind which is just as good. Here is what is going on in your body when working out… Endorphins (happy, feel good hormones) Your body releases these when you are exercising and can impact how you feel. Example of this would be runners high. This happens when a release of these feel good chemicals occur during or after a workout. This happens biologically and is a mood elevator! Dopamine (motivation chemical) Is the brains reward chemical which also makes an appearance during exercise. This chemical affects your motivation and focus and overall sense of accomplishment and the “I can do anything!” Mentality. Serotonin (mood regulator) Serotonin helps balance your mood and keep you happy! Regular exercise can increase the production of this hormone.Overall change your day and even your life. Reduces Cortisol (stress hormone) Cortisol is our bodies stress hormone which can affect our mood negatively and make us feel like blah. During exercise this hormone is than kicked to the curb and replaced with our happy ones. Regular exercise can also help reduce this hormone over time overall leading a happy life. Confidence Since working out gives you a sense of accomplishment and that you did something hard. This can improve your confidence and help you release that you can do hard things. Confidence from a workout can help you flow into your work day with that same feeling and mindset. Movement as a Emotional Outlet Exercise can be hard and this can be a place to let out built up energy in your body instead of storing it. Maybe you had a hard week a work or something isn't working out in your favour. Exercise provides this outlet for these feelings and can help process them. Exercise is more than just a workout. You rewire your brain and change your mindset. It Improves your mood calming your nerves and provides an emotional outlet. Exercise isn't just for your physical health it also supports your mental health which is just as important! Ready to get moving? Book your Free Consultation by CLICKING HERE , or email us at info@degreefitnessseaforth.com to inquire.