Keeping Healthy Habits When Chaos Rules the Day

Life threw you a curveball? No problemo!
In this episode of Blasphemous Nutrition, I’m diving into how to keep your healthy habits intact when life decides to go off the rails. Whether it’s unexpected travel, holiday madness, or those “seriously, this too?!” moments, I’ve got you covered.

I’ll share my go-to strategies for rolling with the punches, building backup plans, and staying on track with your health goals—even when everything around you feels like a dumpster fire. (yep, I’ve been there) You'll learn from others' successes and get my most practical, no-BS advice, leaving this episode armed with tools to thrive, not just survive, in the face of chaos.

So, if you’re ready to make health a constant—not just a “when life is calm” thing—hit play and let’s get into it!

Find Research Citations and Transcript at Blasphemous Nutrition on Substack

Work with Aimee

Photography by: Dai Ross Photography

Podcast Cover Art: Lilly Kate Creative

Find Research Citations and Transcript at Blasphemous Nutrition on Substack

Work with Aimee

Photography by: Dai Ross Photography

Podcast Cover Art: Lilly Kate Creative

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Transcript

0:00

Hey Rebels, welcome to Blasphemous Nutrition. Consider this podcast your pantry full of clarity, perspective, and the nuance needed to counter the superficial health advice so freely given on the internet. I'm Amy, the unapologetically candid host of Blasphemous Nutrition, and a double degreed nutritionist with 20 years experience. I'm here to share a more nuanced take. On living and eating well to sustain and recover your health. If you've found most health advice to be so generic as to be meaningless, We're so extreme that it's unrealistic, and you don't mind the occasional f bomb. You've come to the right place. From dissecting the latest nutrition trends to breaking down published research and sharing my own clinical experiences, I'm on a mission to foster clarity amidst all the confusion, and empower you to have the help you need to live a life you love. Now let's get started. Welcome back to Blasphemous Nutrition. I'm your host, Aimee, here with some good old fashioned Mexican grandma wisdom to keep you sane when chaos reigns. We've all had the experience that I'm talking about today. Many of my clients claim to be all or nothing when it comes to lifestyle changes. They get on the perfect diet plan. They get their exercise dialed in. They're starting to feel good. And then something derails them and a case or even a pallet of the fuckets arrives, leading them to abandon their plans and their goals to deal with that moment. This cycle of on again, off again is not wholly inevitable, but it also is not reasonable to expect that we can implement a plan, even the most perfect one, and have it work without interruption for the foreseeable future. The greatest consequence of all or nothing thinking is that it usually leaves us with nothing. Rigidity Adaptability is fragile and flexibility and adaptation is enduring. That is the nature of evolution. Those who can adapt are those who thrive. So today I want to talk about adaptability and how to thrive despite unpredicted events. I'm going to lay out my personal formula for doing so and give you clear cut examples of how to maintain some semblance of your health habits no matter what life throws at you. So let's start at the beginning. We have a plan in place, it's going well, maybe we even start to get that great sense of momentum or have built the confidence that we've really nailed in our strategy for long term consistent goals with our physical activity or healthy eating, and we've maintained that for a significant period of time. So confidence is high, things are working, but life is anything but consistent. So adapting to changes are what makes those who succeed over multiple decades, able to do so, rather than having this lifelong habit of on again, off again, plans, programs, and protocols. Even as you are implementing a plan, In the moment that you decide, okay, this is what I'm going to do, this is how I'm going to eat, this is how I'm going to meal plan, this is how I'm going to exercise. Even as you are laying out that plan, you want to be thinking of the contingencies of the adaptations that you're going to have to make before they even arrive. The easiest way to start this is to create a backup plan for situations that you already know are coming. Foresight is a superpower that is not to be squandered. You know, every year, the holidays arrive, and pumpkin spice everything takes over. And the cultural norm is to just, you know, quote, take the holidays off, and then deal with the consequences in January, but why do that when you don't have to? No one really enjoys sliding into January exhausted, bloated, and Full of regret, but that just kind of tends to be what we all do. And it doesn't have to be that way. It just takes a little bit of planning, a little bit of foresight and some boundaries, and you can avoid a lot of the misery that happens after the holidays when you kind of like. Face the music of what the last couple of months have been like, if you know that you're going to go visit family in a rural area where they don't even recognize that plants are edible things, what will you do? Right? These are some of the expected ebbs and flows of life and seasons that offer us an opportunity to think about adaptation to the environment that we are in before we're actually there. In it, but even when we take these situations into consideration, there can always be something unexpected that shows up and totally puts your plan and even your backup plan into something that becomes completely unsustainable and irrelevant. And this is where and when we need to create emergency contingency plans. So in these situations where there is something that you didn't see coming that totally throws you off, there are two things that you need to do. The first thing is to release any expectations of both ideal outcomes, like, Oh, I can totally maintain this. In the midst of like this crazy ass thing that's going on, as well as swinging the other way to that fatalistic, all hope is lost, let me just throw in the towel now and I'll deal with it later kind of thinking. The reality is our world is full of infinite possibilities, limited only by our imagination. So when we maintain possibility, we find hope. All kinds of resources and ideas that were never discovered when we rigidly adhered to the one true way or throw in the towel completely. the two things that you need to have in your mind, no matter what's going on. The fact that possibility is there, So the very first thing that you must do is ask yourself, what is still possible in the midst of this chaos? the second question is how can I and that's where we take the awareness that possibility exists and open ourselves up to finding those solutions. When it comes to nutrition, my how can I is always the two questions. The two questions are, where is my protein, where is my produce, and I ask myself that every time I'm hungry, every time I'm about to go into a meal. Keeping your mind focused on protein and produce gives you the opportunities to find them, and to tease out the protein and the produce from whatever is in front of you in that moment. when it comes to physical activity, it's how can I find opportunities to move throughout the day? How can I resist the impulse to only be in a car or sitting down when I'm traveling or if I'm going somewhere where I'm not going? How can I remind my muscles that their mass is important and I want to maintain it? So asking that, framing the scenario into how can I, if the world consists of multitudes of possibilities, how can I find those possibilities in this scenario? So let's take a look at some common scenarios. Scenario number one, you have no choice over your food that's going to be served over the next several days. I mean, maybe you're going to a family reunion, or you're going to a work conference, or you're taking, you know, a transcontinental flight halfway across the world. It is a situation where my Christian college buddy Jamie would say you just have to let go and let God. But counter to that faith driven adage is yet another which I heard a lot growing up. God helps those who help themselves. Both sentiments have their place, but we are often quick to give up our own power if we do not have a clear solution immediately in front of us. This past week, I helped a client scout options near a hotel in the Southeast USA. To pick up some resources for a work trip. She didn't know whether or not she would have a fridge at the hotel. So we discussed possible options that don't require refrigeration. If you know, they're to be consumed within 24 hours, I helped her locate a market within walking distance of the hotel where she could pick up fruit and snacks that are suitable to her health goals. And we found several restaurants in the area that. Despite the notorious reputation of the southern U. S., had enough protein and vegetables available listed on their menu on the website to give her most of what she would need for at least two of her three daily meals. We strategized options that were completely independent of what would be given at the catered event and workarounds within the catered event When you are at a catered event where there are very few healthy options look for the protein and minimize the processed foods. If they serve those little boxed lunches with sandwiches or wraps, you know, take two of them and put double the innards, which usually consists of some protein and maybe a couple pieces of lettuce, right, your veg, put double the innards into one sandwich. Or if you're monitoring your carbohydrate intake, turn it into an open faced sandwich on one slice of bread or just eat the inside part of the wrap and leave behind the tortilla. The bulk of the nutrition is going to be inside that turkey sandwich or that egg salad and any vegetable that happens to be between the bread or wrap. You can also bring extra protein snacks like jerky, shelf stable protein drinks or even canned fish in your luggage and then find that mini mart or that grocery store near your hotel or conference center that you can walk or uber to to get produce options like fresh fruit, pre cut vegetables with a dip like hummus, or pre mixed ready to eat salads in the bowl. I had a client a number of years ago who was embarking on a road trip to visit a parent to help him transition into assisted living. And so here we had a situation where this person was going to spend several days on the road. She was staying in a home that wasn't hers, with limited supplies on hand, and the task itself, her purpose for travel, was inherently quite stressful. If she had entered it without a plan in place, she likely would have just been on the road until she got hungry, and then take a look and Grab something at the nearest drive through whatever was easy to eat in the car, right? And when she arrived at her location, maybe just have a quick bowl of cereal for breakfast. Snacks throughout the day, skipping lunch. and then get takeout for dinner. However, in assessing the logistics of her trip, she actually had a great deal at her disposal to stay on top of things. She had her own car. She had a cooler. She, there were grocery stores along the way. And there was refrigeration where she was staying. So we made a plan where she would look for gas stations to refuel that were attached to a grocery store. So she could run in and grab some groceries while her vehicle was refueling. I showed her how to look for restaurants ahead of time along her route that offered options that would align with her needs. For We planned out a master list of groceries that could be quickly and easily prepared once she arrived at her parents house so she didn't have to rely predominantly on pizza or cereal and scrambled eggs. She was gone for about a month, and when we had our follow up session, she was absolutely ecstatic to report that while it was definitely far from perfect, she managed not to gain any weight. any weight during this trip and was able to pick up right where she left off when she came back home. But the reality is she was much stronger and much more street savvy for even having had that experience in the first place. Let's consider a more extreme scenario. Let's say there's a loved one that's in the hospital and you are in the hospital most of the time, holding vigil or just being there for them while they're going through this time of acute care and need. So when you are effectively living out of a hospital, you want to ask yourself. The two questions. Where is my protein? Where is my produce? And step into the hospital cafeteria with those two questions in mind. If you yourself are hospitalized and you're eating solid foods, you can ask those two questions when you're looking at the cafeteria menu as they're bringing food to you. You can make requests in most places about your needs, and generally they're pretty good at helping you out with them. Look for protein options from vending machines such as Beef Jerky or Meat Sticks. And you also may be able to get meal delivery to the hospital. So looking online for restaurants nearby that have their menus displayed on Google or their website can really give you a great advantage in finding meals that offer some of those things that you need so that you are not At the mercy of just vending machines and cafeteria food. It may also be possible to have somebody bring groceries to you with prepared foods such as hummus and pre cut veggies or grilled chicken or a pre made salad. Mealtrains are super popular for people who are at home in recovery from from significant events, but meal trains can also be created for those of us who are like keeping vigil at hospital or who are in a situation where we are not at home to cook our own meals. So consider a meal train if you are in a place where there's a community that can really support you in this way. If you're at the hospital and you're not the one admitted to the hospital, take breaks to pace the hospital floors. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, going up and down several flights to keep those legs strong and prevent your muscles from atrophying. Use bathroom sinks or chairs in a quiet sitting area as a place for incline push ups or even chair squats. If there are other family members who are also there at the hospital visiting, tag team and give yourself a call. and them opportunities to step away so that everyone can address their own mental and physical health needs. It is going to be far from perfect. Like I'm not going to lie. Those situations are really tough, but even in the worst case scenario, this allows you to build the importance of your values within you. And it allows you to foster skills that you did not even know you had before. And this can also offer a sliver of comfort by allowing you to take more control over one aspect of your life when everything else has gone sideways. It's crucial in these situations that we keep our own health in the forefront because times of chaos and high stress are as physically demanding as any workout or any race. When we are, you know, traveling for work and we're hyper focused on work, it's really easy to completely neglect yourself, but you set yourself up for getting sick on the flight back or. Step back into work feeling not energized and ready to go, but kind of worn out and not really with it, right? When we take the time and utilize the opportunity at hand to eat the foods, to find the foods and choose those which nourish our bodies, we're able to think more clearly, stay more level headed in stressful situations, and resist all sorts of illnesses that are prevalent in airports and hospitals. Being a master veg hunter, I have totally honed my eagle eye to find produce in gas stations, airports, hospitals, on road trips, transatlantic flights, and even small, rural towns with scant options. It is an absolutely incredible experience. Indispensable skill and it's one that I really want to share with all of you starting March 1st I'm going to be Relaunching 30 days of glorious greens. This is a challenge that I created in I want to say it was 2017 It may have been 2016, but I think it was 2017 and the purpose of this challenge is to help you discover the glory and power of green veggies through fun, action oriented, daily lessons, as well as an online community. Green vegetables are consistently shown in research to have the strongest association with sustained health. throughout the lifespan. And they also really show strong evidence to reduce our risk of death from all causes. The tragic thing is, in North American countries, we're only getting a tablespoon of leafy greens a day, which is not enough. to reduce the risk of all cause mortality or sustain our health. So I'm really hoping that you'll join us for 30 Days of Glorious Greens starting March 1st. This program is completely free. By the way, I do not charge anything for 30 Days of Glorious Greens, nor will I ever charge for 30 Days of Glorious Greens because green veggies are so important and I want everyone everybody to have access to the knowledge and tools to empower them to get more green vegetables on their plate. You will find the link in the show notes to register for 30 days of Glorious Grange and I hope you'll join us this year. Today's episode is sponsored by Kaoss. My very first sponsor of Blasphemous Nutrition. I think it kind of fits. Chaos has come into my life for a visit. Um, so for the next month or so, I'm going to be aiming to drop a podcast twice a month with relevant, important topics for you. And I aim to pick up weekly episodes when things settle down. Thanks for your patience, folks. I always appreciate you for listening and listening. If any of this has been helpful, reach out, let me know, leave a review in iTunes if you haven't done so already, and be sure to subscribe to Blasphemous Nutrition so that you get each episode as it's ready. Until next time, my Blasphemous buddies, this is Aimée, headed out into the crazy ass chaos with my kale and my protein shake in hand. If you have found some Nuggets of Wisdom, make sure to subscribe, rate, and share Blasphemous Nutrition with those you care about. As you navigate the labyrinth of health advice out there, remember, health is a journey, not a dietary dictatorship. Stay skeptical, stay daring, and challenge the norms that no longer serve you. If you've got burning questions or want to share your own flavor of rebellion, slide into my DMs. Your stories fuel me, and I love hearing them. Thanks again for tuning in to Blasphemous Nutrition. Until next time, this is Amy signing off, reminding you that truth is nuanced, and any dish can be made better with a little bit of sass.