The other day I was running some errands before my noon Power Yoga class.  My littlest was with me, and we had planned to stop home after errands to eat lunch on the way to Galter.  I have a tendency to overestimate how much time I have to get everything done, almost always falling short.  Long story short, we bought lunch on the way out of Costco and ate it in a rush in the car.  A slice of cheese pizza for me, a giant hot dog for my son.  Better than a churro, right?  But not quite the homemade, healthy leftovers that I had waiting in my fridge.  I should have just packed our lunches and brought them along.  I should have planned ahead.

March is National Nutrition Month, and this year's theme is "Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle."  The theme encourages adopting eating and physical activity plans that aim to consume fewer calories, make educated food choices and get exercise everyday to achieve and sustain a healthy weight and promote overall health.  And to tie this theme in with my story, in my opinion, in order to create this healthy lifestyle where you eat fewer, smarter calories and move more, you have to plan ahead.

To eat well, you have to have healthy food available.  What happened to me this week at Costco 35 minutes before my class was to start?  I didn't have healthy food available when I needed it.  I could have skipped the class and gone home to eat, but that wasn't a great option either.  Post-workout momma is a much happier momma, so I knew the workout couldn't give.  But, there was a lesson in there for me.  Next time, pack a lunch.

Planning ahead allows you to have fruits and veggies available at the house and ready to eat or throw in your bag for a healthy snack.  Planning ahead means that you know what you are having for dinner when you get home from work, so that you don't opt for a drive-through.  Planning ahead means packing lunches before bed so that there is time to walk the kids to school in the morning instead of drive.   Planning ahead allows you to schedule workouts into your week.  Planning ahead means you aren't stuck running errands with nothing healthy to eat.

So in this last week of National Nutrition Month, see if you can take 30 minutes to plan some meals, write a grocery list and stock up for the week.  Identify opportunities to get in some extra steps and make it happen.  Simply putting in a little bit of thought can take you long way to ensure your next bite is a healthy one.  

Healthy Regards, 
kate