Swaps You Can Do NOW for Healthier Habits

As an expert in healthy habit creation and motivation, Dawn Jackson (DJ) Blatner knows the secret ingredient to success is starting simple. In her new book, “The Superfood Swap: The 4-Week Plan to Eat What You Crave Without the C.R.A.P” (food with C hemicals; R efined sugar and flour; A rtificial sweeteners and colors; and P reservatives) DJ shares simple techniques, with eat/avoid lists, more than 100 tempting recipes including ideas for great lunches, advice on how to read labels to spot healthy-food impostors, and scores of useful infographics – all to help you take smart steps toward optimal health.

DJ shares some exclusive “super swaps” to help kick start healthier habits:

Breakfast

DROP: Skipping breakfast

SWAP: Quick green smoothie. Blend 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 banana, 1 big handful spinach or kale, 1 scoop of your favorite protein powder like this pea protein, and 1/4 cup of ice.

Post Workout

DROP: Suffering due to overexertion

SWAP: Natural muscle relief. Keep this cream in your gym bag to rub on  joints and muscles.

Beauty Routine

DROP: Using processed, chemical moisturizers

SWAP: Use natural moisturizers like this coconut oil in a perfect container for the bathroom.

Afternoon Slump

DROP: Sugary coffee drink

SWAP: Sip on matcha green tea for energy which has less caffeine than coffee and L-theanine, a compound that is a unique component of tea.

Stressful Work Day

DROP: Stress eating (or drinking)

SWAP: Create an environment that will trigger automatic relaxation by diffusing these essential oils.

Lunch

DROP: Sandwich

SWAP: Quinoa lunch bowl. Meal prep a batch of Whole Grain Organic Quinoa on the weekend so you have on hand for easy meals during the week, like a quinoa bowl with some leftover grilled chicken and veggies for a healthy lunch in a hurry.

Dinner

DROP: Usual cooking oil

SWAP: Superfood cooking oil. A great superfood oil is this avocado oil because it’s so versatile…it can be used for high heat sautéing, grilling, and roasting and for making simple salad dressings.

After Meals

DROP: Typical post-meal discomfort

SWAP: Real gut-health solutions. Instead of masking bloating and indigestion, use probiotics like these to help maintain intestinal comfort.* Another gut tip, sip on ginger mint tea after meals to help fill you up and curtail after meal munching.

About DJ:

DJ Blatner (@djblatner) is a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified specialist in sports dietetics. In addition to the Flexitarian Diet, she also authored The Superfood Swap (2016). She recently starred in (and won!) the hit primetime reality TV show on ABC called, My Diet Is Better Than Yours. DJ worked as the head dietitian for the Chicago Cubs for 10 years (yes, she does have a World Series ring) and is a former national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics and hosted a reality-style TV show called S.E.E. Chicago for three seasons. DJ is on the advisory board of SHAPE magazine and is a celebrity diet consultant for PEOPLE magazine. She is the creator of the Nutrition WOW blog, ranked top nutrition blog by Health magazine and she is a trusted expert appearing regularly in local and national media outlets such as The Today Show and Good Morning America.