5 Healthy Habits I Recommend but Struggle With Myself (as a Dietitian)

As a plant-based dietitian who helps women eat for better mood, energy, and hormonal balance, you might assume I’ve nailed the healthy habits I recommend.

The truth? Not even close.🤦🏻‍♀️

I live by progress over perfection—with my clients and in my own life. Small steps are big wins. Learning one little nugget each day adds up to lifelong lessons. And honestly, simply being aware of a habit is worth celebrating.

Striving for physical and mental health is not about achieving perfection; it's about awareness, curiosity, exploration, and taking small, consistent steps that accumulate over time.

So in the spirit of honesty and connection, I’m sharing five nutrition and health habits I recommend to clients daily—plus the real-life ways I’ve struggled to follow them myself and the tweaks that make them doable.

5 Healthy Habits I Recommend (But Struggle Doing)

1. Drink Two Glasses of Water Every Morning

The advice: Start your day hydrated. Your body loses fluid overnight, and even mild dehydration can affect focus, metabolism, energy, and mood. The recommendation for water intake is approximately 13-15 cups a day for men 9-11 cups a day for women. Drinking two glasses of water the moment you wake is a great way to get a hydration jump start for the day.

The struggle: Every morning, I go directly for my matcha latte. It's my warm, comforting ritual, and, judging by my routine, it seems I can't even wait the minute it takes to hydrate first.

My solution: I place a glass of water near the stove, where I prepare matcha tea, allowing me to easily drink two glasses of water while making matcha. Struggle #2: Even if the glass of water is there, I sometimes snub it. In this case, I remind myself that beginning the day hydrated is a proactive step for my health, from improving cognition and enhancing mood to boosting energy and hydrating my skin. This reminder typically convinces me.

2. Eat at Least Two Cups of Fruit a Day

The advice: Fruits deliver fiber, antioxidants, and phytonutrients that help reduce inflammation, mitigate anxiety, and support digestion. Fruit is rich in vitamin C, which helps reduce anxiety and supports the immune system; potassium, crucial for muscle function and hydration; and vitamin A (called carotenoids in the plant kingdom), vital for eye, brain, and skin health.

The struggle: Dark chocolate usually always wins over fruit. (Can you relate?)

My solution: I’ve learned that habit pairing helps my hard-to-do habits stick. Nearly every morning, I start my day with a loaded avocado toast — something I absolutely love and look forward to. It’s piled high with leafy greens, radish, sprouts, and pickled red onions. Since I know my avocado toast is a sure thing, I use it as a tool to eat my fruit first, by placing a bowl of berries next to my “avocado toast station.” The rule: no avocado toast (or chocolate!) until the berries are gone. It works surprisingly well.

3. Add a Blend of Ground Chia, Flax, and Hemp Seeds for Omega-3s

The advice: These tiny seeds are rich in ALA, a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid that reduces inflammation, supporting gut, brain and heart health. They're also a good source of bone-supporting minerals, like calcium and magnesium. Another bonus is that seeds are packed with protein. Sprinkling them into meals is an easy way to boost protein.

The struggle: I love the idea of blending the three seeds together to get a mix of nutrients they each offer… I just forget to do it. Consistency is the hardest part.

My solution: Still working on this one! Some clients sprinkle seeds into their overnight oats or keep a “seed jar” next to the coffee grinder as a visual cue. I've recently tried sprinkling it over my avocado toast and it works pretty well. Next step: create a seed blend with savory spices that can be easily sprinkled on salads for flavor, crunch, AND nutrition (promise to share once I create it).

4. Strength Train Twice a Week

The advice: Strength training builds lean muscle, supports bone density, balances hormones, and boosts metabolism. It's a game-changer for all stages of life, and especially for women over 50 years of age. It's been shown to enhance mental wellbeing, promote good sleep, improve metabolism and increase bone mineral density.

The struggle: I’d rather roll onto my yoga mat than pick up a dumbbell.

My solution: My husband does a free HIIT-style workout in the park every Saturday. With his nudge, I’ve made it my routine too. (Not going to lie — I’m sometimes reluctant, but I always leave feeling stronger and happier.) On another day, I try to fit in a quick at-home circuit of squats, lunges, and pushups. Short, simple, and effective.

Here’s the good news: science backs this up. There’s even a name for it — exercise snacking — real-life movement for real people. A new review in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that short bursts of movement, just 2 to 5 minutes at a time, can improve heart and lung health. Because between work, family, and everything else, finding 45 minutes for a workout isn’t always realistic. But a few “snacks” of movement throughout the day? Totally doable.

Other studies show that these mini-sessions reduce stress hormones and release feel-good endorphins that clear your mind and calm your mood.

5. Drink a Daily Smoothie (with Greens, Fruit, and Seeds)

The advice: Smoothies are one of the easiest ways to pack in fiber, healthy fats, and phytonutrients — all in one glass. I’m a big fan for anyone who enjoys them, since they make it simple to blend a whole lot of nutrition into every sip.

The struggle: I can’t do smoothie texture—it’s just not my thing.

My solution: I prefer to eat my greens instead! I add them to just about every meal — piled on avocado toast, tucked into grain bowls, or stirred into soups. Whether you like sipping your greens or munching on them, the message is clear: consuming 2 to 4 cups of leafy greens each day is one of the simplest ways to support overall wellness.

Progress Over Perfection: Meet Yourself Where You Are

If you ever feel like you “should” be doing more when it comes to eating well, know this: even dietitians have their roadblocks. What matters isn’t perfection—it’s finding simple, sustainable ways to meet yourself where you are.

So if you’re sipping coffee (or matcha!) before water or skipping your smoothie (again), you’re in good company. What matters is that you notice, you care, and you try again tomorrow. That’s where real change happens.

Small tweaks can create big shifts in how you feel—mentally, physically, and emotionally.

The real win? Building habits that feel like you, not rules you have to follow.

Progress, not perfection. That’s the secret.✨