Hi Reader,

I saw a video this week about the "sardine fast."

(Seriously, how do people come up with this stuff?)

If you haven't heard of it, people are eating nothing but sardines for a few days because it's supposedly going to "reset their body's chemistry."

Reset what chemistry exactly? I'm not entirely sure, and they're definitely not either.

Then I talked to a friend who told me she'd decided to try it. She made it until lunchtime.

😅

And I'm not making fun of her – it just reminded me of this important truth to share with y'all:

Nutrition isn't supposed to feel like a challenge you have to survive.

I think social media has convinced us that if eating healthy doesn't feel hard enough, we're probably doing it wrong.

It has us chasing "resets," "detoxes," cleanses, all kinds of supplements, and now...apparently, days of eating sardines straight from the can like we're cats.

The problem for the attention-seekers on social media is that the research on what actually helps people stay healthy over the long term is not exciting. So it's not going to create a viral moment.

It's eating fruits and veg at most meals. Having oatmeal for breakfast because it's easy and filling.

Keeping frozen veggies in your freezer because they're convenient.

Making grilled chicken one night when you have bandwidth, and getting takeout another when you just can't get dinner on the table.

The things that make the biggest difference aren't the things getting millions of views. And that's actually good news.

Because if your nutrition plan only works when you have enough willpower to eat sardines for three days straight...it's probably not a very good nutrition plan. I'd much rather help you build eating habits that still work when life is busy, you're on vacation, your kid has soccer practice, or you just don't feel like cooking.

So if you've been feeling like you're constantly falling behind because there's always another food trend you "should" be trying, let this be your reminder:

You don't need a reset that you have to white knuckle through. You don't need the latest challenge.

And unless you genuinely love sardines, you definitely don't need to spend three days eating them. <3
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New This Week From Mama Knows
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​IN THE RECIPE BOOK

Strawberry Banana Frozen Yogurt

Need something to do with those too-ripe bananas but baking just feels too involved right now? Try this homemade frozen yogurt recipe with banana, strawberry, and a few other simple ingredients!

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Love s'mores but hate the mess (or don't have a fire pit)? These cookies have everything you love – gooey marshmallows, melty chocolate, and graham crackers – in a soft peanut butter cookie that's easy to make any time of year. And there's no butter or oil in this recipe!

My whole family devoured these and immediately asked for more!

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Hope you have a great week,

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