It’s Hard to Eat Right in the Wrong Kitchen

There’s no place like home for getting healthy; that is, if it’s organized and filled with things that nourish your well-being. But far too often, the place where we live is part of the problem. When it’s a cluttered mess, with a kitchen filled with sugary, processed, high calorie foods, it interferes with our efforts to eat healthy.

That’s why one of the first things I do when I begin working with someone new is meet them at their home to do what I call a ‘Healthy Spaces Makeover.’ I start in the kitchen by opening up the cabinets and refrigerator and I take a photo of each. Then I get out a hefty trash bag and I go to work. Out goes the half-eaten box of sugary cereal, the leftover potato chips, cookies, Pop Tarts, sodas, ice cream and such. Everything that’s packed with empty calories and practically devoid of essential nutrients must go.

Then, it’s off to the grocery store to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables, brown rice, oatmeal, lean sources of protein like salmon, chicken, eggs, protein powder, light yogurt and low-fat cottage cheese, as well as plenty of pure water.

Transform Your Kitchen from Fat to Fit

Then it’s back to the kitchen where we put these new items in the cabinets and refrigerator. Then I take another photo and I paste it, as well as the photo taken before, on a sheet of paper. The before and after comparison is often very dramatic — like the difference between night and day. In just a matter of a few short hours, we change the kitchen from a health hazard to a vibrant source of nutritional energy. I tape the sheet of paper with both photos on a cabinet near the refrigerator so the person has a crystal-clear example of how I need that kitchen to look from this point forward. I suggest that you do this action step too — especially if you want to achieve your goals and be a winner in the Transformation Challenge! =)

Remember, it is hard to eat right in the wrong kitchen — it is much easier to do the right thing in the right environment. So, give your kitchen a Healthy Spaces Makeover this weekend — in doing so, you will be setting the table for your success!