0:00Episode 3956. Why does everything healthy taste so bad? [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ Moms, it's time to rediscover, rejuvenate, and renew whom you are in mind, body, and spirit. Welcome to Create Your Now, Your Best Selfie. The show that help you do just that. Here's your host, Certified Life Coach, Personal Trainer, and Nutritionist, Christian Wardo. [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ Happy every day. I hope you're having a fabulous week. Today is all about wellness, your health, how you're feeling, what you're looking like, not in the mirror, but from the inside out. Oh, yes, and I know you want to know this answer. That is everything healthy taste so bad. Isn't that why you're here? For those of your brand, Nutica Creature Now, welcome to this incredible family. I'm so delighted of your presence. If you already haven't had the opportunity, you'll want to head on over to CreatureNow.com, where you can learn more and sign up for the Kisses newsletter. To keep it simple strategy, everyday solutions, to live, love, and impact. With this episode is brought to you by AIM, Inspiring Connection, and Community.

1:02OK, so we're going to talk about health today. I'm done talking about health. Have you already given up on your New Year's resolutions? Oh, wait, those are probably the same New Year's resolutions you had like 10 years ago, 15 years ago, maybe 35 years ago. We won't count how many years ago. It's OK. But I want to talk about things from a different perspective, and we haven't talked a lot about food lately. And I don't know. I'm kind of in the mood to eat. How about you? Food is great. I love food. But when it comes to healthy living, rarely does it feel easy. We say we want to be healthier. But when faced with salads that seem like lawn clippings, I mean, let's be real. Or bland, steamed vegetables, ug. We ask ourselves, why does everything healthy taste so bad? I mean, who wants to eat that? There's nothing fun in that. The frustration isn't just about flavor, though. It's a symptom of a deeper battle between what our body's crave and what our minds resist.

2:05Interesting thought. Why does everything healthy taste so bad? I mean, because your taste buds and your body are often on two different pages, aren't they? And that disconnect chips up even the most committed. You wonder why you fall off the wagon so easily. It's because your mind says, ah, ah, there's something better over there. You know it. You put it in the cabinet. Oh, wait, but if you just go over here and you look down two more shelves and your refrigerator, oh, and if you go in the freezer, oh, there's chocolate. Lots of chocolate, right? Yeah, I know. It's reality, right? Let's be real. Because if we're going to get anywhere when it comes to healthy living, we've got to be honest with ourselves. I know I am. I have been working hard on my health. But then what happens is life gets in the way. You're like, how does that work? I don't know what just does. Things happen and I'm not on my own routine. I have to answer to everybody else's routine. And so then what happens to me? My routine gets put on the back burner. For a while, that's okay.

3:05But then eventually, sniffles happen, right? You get the cough and you're like, man, I'm not taking care of myself. Next thing you know, you're diagnosed with double pneumonia. Now that was last year, a year ago. I don't want to repeat that. But you know what, this year I've been on the move again. I've been, you know, all of the stuff, right? We all have it. Now some people would say, Christian, it's just a season. You're in the deep South right now. And you're in this frozen tender. Yes, that's all true. But I didn't get the sniffles and all of that just because it's cold here. I got it because, well, I'm around other things. And I'm also not putting stuff in my body that my body needs to stay healthy. When we say healthy, we're really talking about what our body needs to thrive. The nutrients, the real fuel, the balance, the harmony that comes within us, not what we see in the mirror, not the number on the scale.

4:06But what our brain wants is totally different. It immediately tends to go searching for what? Sugar, salt, fat, sugar, salt, fat. Whatever trips you up, right? That's what it's searched for. It's a triple threat engineered by processed foods to hook us in. It just pulls us and pulls us. Yep, you know where you hide that stuff. Why? Because other people in your family eat it. I get it. I have a huge family. They don't all want to eat what I have to eat. And my body's complicated, so is yours. But we can't live in that excuse world. My uncle recently had surgery. He has troubles like I do. My mom has troubles like I do. There's some genetics in that. And her brother has troubles. So I've got two uncles that have problems. And my grandmother had problems. My great-grandmother had problems. I'm like, this isn't fair. I can sit here and yell at the tippy-tippy top of any mountain,

5:07but it doesn't change what's happening in my body. And at some point, we have to look at what our own body needs from the inside out. And that comes from our nutrition. The fuel that we're putting in. And when we sit there and we have one thing that our body needs to thrive on, which is the nutrients, the real fuel. And then we have our brain that says, oh, I want the sugar fat salt, sugar salt fat, whatever it is, right? This clash makes healthy food feel like punishment. Not pleasure. No wonder we can't make it to the next level of healthy living. No wonder we can't lose the pain and we gain three. Why does this happen? Because evolution wired us to survive scarcity. Not abundance. Think about that for a minute. When I was writing this, I was like, oh yeah, that's interesting. Good point.

6:08We have, in our grocery stores, the ease of getting whatever we want unless if we're going to be in a frozen tendra and then everybody sells out of everything. But we'll leave that to another episode. But we're meant to survive scarcity. Not to sit there and go like, oh man, I can have the chips. I can have chips and salsa all the time. I don't have to wait to go to my favorite Mexican restaurant to have them. I don't have to wait till single-day mayo to have just fresh everything. Oh no, I'm going to celebrate it every Friday and I'm going to do it in style. That's fine, there's nothing wrong with that. But is that getting you to where you want to be from the inside out when it comes to healthy living? Sweet and salty triggers told our ancestors where to find energy, dense food in the wild. Today, those cravings run wild thanks to buffet of hyper-processed options.

7:08We're all shopping in the middle. And not around the outside of the grocery store. And not literally the outside. Just if you go around, you've got the inner parts, right? Where you've got all the aisles. You want to shop the outer part of all those aisles that are in the middle. That's where the real food is. It's too easy to go to those hyper-processed foods, even in the frozen section. Say, oh, but it's, oh yeah. If it's not in its most original form, it's processed. And I know there's some degree, right? We go when we get the fresh chicken, but it's already been to the butcher. I get that part, I got it. But you still don't want to have it where they've already put stuff in it. You want to be able to dress your meat, your fruits, your vegetables the way you want to, so you know what's going in them. Be careful where you're getting your stuff. And that's where, meanwhile, nutrient-rich foods often more subtle and taste.

8:09Demand patients and resetting your palate, right? A job none of us signed up for overnight. We don't want it. We resist. Oh, but we can't. We've got to reset our taste buds. That is your kiss to keep a simple strategy. Reset your taste buds. And know what's not going to come easy because if we choose differently, there will be a greater hit to our health where we resist the standards our bodies require because facing that means discipline. Just comfort and lots of sacrifice. It means saying no to quick fixes. And yes, the choices that don't deliver instant gratification. But what are we used to? Quick fixes. We want to drive through our fast food restaurant and lose 20 pounds. Wouldn't it be nice? I'm waiting for the day. It's going to happen. Were those little pens that they have now? You know what I'm talking about? I'm not going to mention them. You know, they're all over. They're like, oh, here, just stick to yourself.

9:09Once a week, you're going to lose the weight. Have you read the symptoms, the side effects? Have you read it? Do you know the possibilities of what might happen? Have you heard about the cases? Do your research. That's all I'm going to say. And that's what I'm not going to mention it here. But pretty soon, you're going to have those fast food restaurants become those drive views and say, just here, shoot me up right here. I'm done drive through. Next week, you come to the same thing. Next week, you come to the same thing. What are you doing to your body? Do you really know? Let's get real. I'm getting real. Why? Because I'm not getting any younger. We get to choose how healthy we are. And this isn't a slap on your wrist. This is a wake up to reality. Not just for you, but for me too. If you want to be around and live a lifestyle of vibrancy, where you're energetic, where you get up going, yeah, I get to do this instead of like, oh my goodness.

10:09It's another day. I can't handle it. And it sounds like you've been smoking and drinking for like 20 years. And you haven't done any of that? Think about it. If you want to make a change, it takes a lot more work. Reset your taste buds. A lot of times we ignore our body's needs because honoring them, questions are habits, our priorities, and sometimes even our identity. You want to go out with your friends, right? You want to celebrate every single week, pizza night, every single week. Let's have our chips and salsa. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. But let me tell you this. It's a gut punch. When you're living your life in the manner of, I'm just going to do what I want to do because I can. But I'm here to remind you, there's hope. There is good news. Come on, get excited. There's good news. Healthy living can taste good. It really can.

11:10It doesn't have to be the one where you snarl. And you're like, now you may not be able to eat all of the healthy foods for whatever reason. Maybe you really don't like the taste of kale. There's nothing wrong. There's other great things out there you can eat. All right, I'm going to tell you a secret. And it's probably going to blow your mind. I do not like peas. I do not know why. I mean, they smushed in my mouth. Yeah, just a thought of them. Now, I can eat them crisp in a salad or in a casserole. But quite honestly, I don't want them in my salad because I like my salad as is. And I really shouldn't like them in a casserole because I shouldn't be eating casseroles, OK? So both of those is like, I shouldn't have them anyway. But guess what, there are many other green vegetables out there that I can eat. Don't sit there and say, I can't have green vegetables because I can't eat peas. That's not it. And let me tell you, I've hid this secret from my children all their entire growing up life.

12:12My daughter even told me she goes, Mom, I had no idea. You did not like peas, and she loves peas. I'm like, yeah, it wasn't my decision to tell your taste buds what to like or not like. Just like I'm not telling my grandchildren. Right now, they're infatuated with green beans. I love that because grandma loves green beans. Peas, they eat peas, but maybe not as easily. They think it's fun to pick up, and then they squish them in their hands, and maybe that's why I don't like them. But regardless, I don't. But you see, I don't use it as an excuse. I don't use it as a crutch to say, I can't have green vegetables because of peas. Healthy living can taste good, not just in your mouth, on your tongue, but it's in how it feels, right, in your body, in your mind, and how you live your life. So what does it look like in real life, right, to reset your taste buds? Well, number one, you have to reset your palate gradually. I didn't say overnight.

13:14Your taste buds adapt faster than you think. So swap one process snack for a piece of fresh fruit, or a handful of nuts each day. For me, I love my chocolate. So I have this special chocolate seriously I do. It's delicious. And it's actually good for me, okay? It's dark chocolate, but it's formulated. It helps my cholesterol. And I allow myself to have so many. And so when I'm getting that craving of I wanna go to the freezer that has stuff that I should not be eating it, I allow myself to have this little cute less than one by one inch cube of chocolate. It's just this little square. It's delicious. And it helps me. Like, it's good for my body. I love that. I'm changing a whole bowl full of something that does no good for me. For one little square that could change my life internally, right, myself, over time. And over weeks of you doing this, flavors you once found bland, and have become vibrant.

14:17Did you know celery tastes sweet? Uh-huh, I challenge you. Celery is very sweet tasting. Carrots, oh my goodness. They are delicious. But some people will say, oh, there's nothing to them. I gotta dip them in something. No, you don't. You start taking out that processed food pretty soon. You're like, oh, I don't need anything with carrots. They're delicious. And then you start to crave the realness instead of the artificial. Oh, my friend, I could sit here forever and tell you we have been programmed. Programmed chemically to love processed foods. I know. I've read the research number one, but number two, I've done the studies on myself. Like, I've challenged my own body. I'm my own research paper. And I sit here and I take things away and I add things to them like, oh, my goodness. No wonder. Why is it that chips taste better with Asoda?

15:18Because they're chemically matched. Why do you think soda companies own chip companies? They're part of their, uh-huh, you're getting the idea, aren't you? We could go on and on and on and on. So remove the artificial and crave the realness. Reset your palate gradually. Be patient with yourself. Number two, connect food to feeling. Don't just eat a salad because it's healthy, right? Don't just eat those peas because you have to eat those peas for me as green beans. Notice the energy, the clarity, or the calm it brings you afterward. Maybe it's like, oh, my goodness. I love the salad with the ginger dressing on it. It just, oh, it's refreshing. Capture that in your mind. Not, oh, I need to have more, you know, that creamy dressing in order to dip everything into and I eat more dressing than I eat salad. You know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm not going to mention it because they're not a sponsor here

16:21on this episode. But when you link food with the benefit it provides, that taste becomes a reward, not the immediate sugary hit. A lot of times we're chasing the wrong things. Have yourselves chase the right things. Connect food to feeling well. And finally, number three, own your standards. You're not on a diet. Well, wait, let me say that again, really loud and clear, you're not on a diet. You're not. You're living a lifestyle. Get that word diet out of your head because right now in our day and age diet means you can't have. So say this is my lifestyle, I get to. I get to do this. I will feel good from the inside out. And when I feel good from the inside out, oh, by golly, I know I'm going to look good. I don't care what that number on the scale is

17:22because my body is going to do what it needs to do because I'm giving it what it needs. Get clear on what your body deserves and hold that line. No excuses. Don't let somebody else's life and routines take over. Yes, me included. I am now actually officially toting everything with me. I take my food with me everywhere I go. If I go to a conference, I'm taking my food with me. I go grocery shopping. I don't eat what's there. Now, there are a few things that I do allow myself. The last conference I was at, I did allow myself. But from this point forward, I can't because I know what it does to me from the inside out. And then I have to recover from that. Is my recovery worth two weeks of me just feeling bleh? There's no reason to feel bleh, right? Healthy living tastes better when you're proud of your commitment and results. And it's not about the number. Think about how yourselves are dancing on the inside.

18:24Let it be a party every day. Now, imagine what healthy tastes like in a bigger sense. I want you to expand your horizon for a moment. It's waking up energized. It's not groggy. It's wearing clothes that fit right, not stretched out. It's feeling confident in your skin and owning your day without hitting a wall at 2 p.m. I gotta have this, I gotta have this. No, you don't, because you feel good. It's more than food. It's peace of mind, resilience and freedom. It's about honoring your mind, body and spirit. That's the real flavor of health. That's resetting your taste buds. Sometimes bitter at first, yes, but rich and rewarding when you adjust your expectations and truly commit. So next time you grimace over kale or maybe peas or blanch at the thought of no sugar, ah, right?

19:27Remember, it's not about instant taste. It's about training your mind and body for a delight that lasts a lifetime. Keep pushing. The taste of real health is waiting on the other side of your discomfort. Go in peace, train for life. Love your journey. I love you so very much. I cannot wait to see you on the other side. Blessing's eggs and lots and lots of love. We'll talk to you real soon. Have a glorious, blessed, healthy day. Bye-bye. Feeling inspired and ready to train for life and love your journey? Visit treeyournow.com for more incredible resources to help you along the way. We'll see you next time on Create Your Now, Your Best Selfie. And remember, always be sure you consult your physician before beginning any health and fitness plan.