How Are Those September Resolutions Going? If you haven’t settled on any, don’t worry. As explained in a post last month, nature’s seed planting goes on all autumn, so there’s still time to use the season’s momentum to your advantage and “plant” some seeds for food life changes.
But here’s the thing: The seeds of our diet hopes and dreams only grow if they’re nurtured. Too many get left to dry out, blow away, rot or wither. This failure to nurture is why our diet hopes and dreams very often don’t happen.
There are a number of points where a nurturing fail can occur, e.g., not having the necessary knowledge, emotional readiness or family and friend support, or being caught in the grip of old limiting beliefs and stories. I want to share another equally critical reason that doesn’t often get much press: lack of adequate preparation.
In last month’s blog, I shared a couple small intentions I planted: 1) increasing the variety in my diet with a new whole grain, buckwheat; and 2) drinking a little apple cider vinegar water each morning. For the most part, those “New Year’s resolutions” are budding forth and growing fairly well. I’ll share a few more details below.
My Secret Diet Hope But first I want to share a third diet hope–making my own almond milk–that didn’t get mentioned in last month’s blog exactly because I’ve had it for several years (!) and haven’t been able to nurture it into a single bottle of almond milk. I was reminded of this diet hope while reading the blog for Nutritional Therapist Nicolette Miller. There, yet again, was an almond milk recipe.
I had run across the recipe several times in my healthy eating journey. I knew it was not at all difficult– just three ingredients and three simple steps. Several successful nut milk makers had assured me it was really easy. Nevertheless, I could not make that diet hope happen.
Why was that?!!
No doubt you’ve run into the “implementation gap” that submarines so many of our good eating hopes and intentions. You know it feels frustrating and dis-empowering and even a little depressing.
So last month’s post on planting resolutions almost begs for a follow up on how to nurture our diet dreams and hopes and see them show up on the table, in our snacks, in our lunch bags, or wherever and whenever we eat and drink. Today is the start of just such a follow up series of posts.
The Key Thing I’m Doing Differently This Time I don’t want to spoil the suspense about my almond milk resolution, but I’m making it happen, and I’m being careful to notice what I’m doing differently this time. Each day I’ll post about the lessons I learned, since they are applicable no matter what your specific resolution is.
The big takeaway of all those lessons is what I mentioned earlier, getting prepared. Are you surprised that my progress isn’t dependent on whether or not I was a good cook, liked to cook or wanted to cook? In other words, it wasn’t so much about if and how well I could do the actual steps of measuring, draining and blending. Rather, my progress depended on my willingness to get prepared to do those steps.
This explains why I was tricked by the simplicity of the almond milk recipe. Indeed, the steps were easy, but if I wasn’t prepared, I could never even get to those steps, much less to the reward of a bottle of homemade almond milk.
To phrase it another way, to this point I have never taken time to put myself in a position where I could be successful.
So join me over the next couple weeks, as I share the story of nurturing my almond milk resolution. I’ll chronicle the barriers I bumped up against and the preparation steps I took to get around them. Of course, please use my mistakes freely to help speed your resolutions along!
A Quick Update Now a quick update on my first two resolutions. Although they weren’t huge goals, getting prepared was still key to implementing them.
Resolution #1: Drinking a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar water each morning before breakfast.
To put myself in a position where I had a good chance of success, I pulled the vinegar out of the cupboard and gave it an honored place in my prime cooking area by the stove, where I’d be sure to see and remember it each morning. I ignored the fact that I dislike counter clutter, especially in my prime cooking area, because my ACV goal was more important than worrying about a couple small counter additions. And I don’t think I’ll need to leave it on the counter much longer, because “habit magic” is kicking in. In other words, I’m almost to the point where I feel funny and know I’m missing something if I don’t start breakfast with my ACV! That’s how something new becomes natural and normal–and it will happen for you, too, with diligence, patience–and being prepared.
I also got a good commitment boost from both a video and article I ran across that described the benefits of “supplementing” my diet with ACV. According to David Spero, BSN, RN, vinegar reliably lowers after-meal and fasting blood sugar in many people.**
Resolution #2: Occasionally replacing brown rice with a new whole grain, buckwheat.
As with the ACV, I positioned myself for success by pulling out the buckwheat container as a reminder to make it. Equally important, however, was making a mental note of different foods and dishes which make a good match for buckwheat, e.g., carrots, cabbage, potatoes, hamburgers, cauliflower and salads. As I plan to make complimentary foods, the easier it will be to make a batch of buckwheat.
My commitment boost for buckwheat came the first time I tasted it again after several months of neglecting it. I was reminded of its yummy-nutty taste, which is keeping me motivated to weave it into my diet regularly.
Don’t be surprised if some commitment boosts pop up unexpectedly for you, too, once you put your mind to a resolution. Things have a way or reorganizing to support your hopes and dreams.
Now, on to Day 1 of the great Nut Milk-Making Journey!
**See: http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/blog/vinegar-for-diabetes-yes/, and http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/videos/preventing-hyperglycemia-part-2/ (at min 4:30) where Gary Scheiner, MS, CDE, the AADE’s 2014 Educator of the Year explains that “acidity is something else that slows down the rate of digestion” and vinegar is an excellent source of acidity
Donna is putting the “getting prepared” idea to work. Here’s what she emailed after this post appeared in our newsletter:
“I like your resolution about having cider vinegar in warm water first thing in the morning. For years I have been told to have lemon first thing in the morning but that doesn’t work for me because I don’t go downstairs to the fridge until I have washed, brushed, dressed and had meditation upstairs and that usually takes about 45 minutes. Cider vinegar is easy to store upstairs in a bathroom while lemon is not! Thanks!”
Good thinking Donna!
Can I also add that writing last month’s post was also a big help. It forced me to identify, clarify and write down my first two resolutions that had been vaguely floating about in my head. Forcing myself to articulate and write them down solidified my commitment in a very effective way. Give it a try. Discipline yourself to write something down–in your calendar, journal, on a scrap of paper taped to the frig–or post a comment below if you need a structured writing place.