April 2025. Life certainly has its rough patches, no? I’m in the middle of one right now.

It’s tempting to throw in the proverbial towel and just take a break from all the health goals when life laughs at your plans. And that certainly is a valid option. Sometimes taking a break is exactly what is needed to come back stronger.

But other times, continuing forward progress is what will help the most. Especially if you need a distraction from highly emotional times. (Hi, that’s me!). Keeping busy and staying focused on my goals is helping me to navigate this rough patch.

Enter environmental design. This is a strategy based on setting up your environment in a way that makes it easier to make the choice you decided to make when life wasn’t quite so rough. And if this resonates with you, be sure to check out my blog on how to never fail at your goals again.

I’m also sharing a simple, healthy, and delicious recipe for the hummus wraps I have been loving for quite a minute now. It’s best for those who can put together a wrap when it’s time to eat. That way the wrap doesn’t get soggy from the ingredients. It’s also vegan, but don’t let that scare you away. You can always add some meat!

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – The great Arthur Ashe 

Yours in good health,
Alexia Lewis, RD
Master’s Level Nutritionist
Registered Dietitian
Certified Health Coach

What’s On My Table

Ever wondered what a dietitian eats? Surprise! It is not only super-healthy foods. This dietitian eats for nutrition and for pleasure. You can too. 

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I’m having a food jag with my hummus wrap for lunch. #noshame. With just a little meal-prepping, I’m enjoying quick-to-make lunches that are nutrition-rich and delicious!

The meal-prepping part:

• Peel away the tunic (that’s the papery coating!) and slice one Vidala or another sweet onion.
• Wash, remove seeds, and slice one or two bell peppers into strips.
• Wash and cut one zucchini or yellow squash in half, then cut into large matchsticks.
• Sauté these vegetables until they are cooked to your preference.
• Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and grab them when it’s time to make lunch.

You can use any vegetables you like that will cook down to soft so they will roll up into a wrap. Cutting into slices or large matchsticks works best. 

The make-a-lunch part:

• Get a burrito-sized flour tortilla. Heat using stovetop if not bendy. Do not get too close to the stove element or flame!
• Spread your favorite hummus on one half of the wrap. May I recommend Lantana’s Sriracha Carrot Hummus – *chef’s kiss* (no affiliation).
• Sprinkle nutritional yeast on the hummus for a little more protein and a little bit of a cheesy flavor. I use about a teaspoon, but there are no rules here.
• Get those prepped veggies out of the fridge and place them on top of the hummus and nutritional yeast. It takes a little practice to get the right amount of veggies so the wrap isn’t sad, but not so much that it won’t wrap up or stay together.
• Add a side of fruit. I love blackberries and fresh pineapple these days.

You can add meat or legumes like chickpeas, or tofu to boost the protein.

Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think! I would also love your suggestions for ways to jazz it up! Sometimes we all need a little #foodspiration.

What I’ve Been Coaching On

You can catch a glimpse of what my coaching style is like in this section, where I share some of what I’m working with my clients on. 

This is based on my experience with my patients and is provided solely for educational purposes. It may NOT be appropriate for you. Please check with your healthcare provider before making changes based on the information provided here.

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Here we are just over 3 months into the new year. So… how’s it going with your health goals?

The motivation that you felt in January is waning and things you could do easily in January are likely getting more difficult to do. #truestory. Life starts life-ing and we tell ourselves that we must grit our teeth, power through, suck it up, and get it done.

Yah. No. Willpower is not always the answer.

There is some cool research on willpower. It used to be thought that your willpower runs out over the day and with every decision you make. Now, they are finding that this is the case for some people, but not for others. Read up on this along with tips to increase your willpower.

I still stand by needing to use willpower a lot means you will not be able to maintain what you are trying to do for the long-term. It’s a great way to get started or a goal for that event in a few weeks. But if it’s your lifetime plan… oh, how exhausting to always be pushing that hard and likely having that negative internal voice beat you down.

So, let’s talk about something that can help boost your willpower: environmental design. This is the idea that you build the environment around you (the triggers) to make the choice you want to make (the goal) easier.

Want some examples?

• If your goal is to eat more veggies, it will be easier if they are washed and cut and stored front and center when you open the fridge. If that slice of cake is there instead, it is so much harder to eat the veggies.
• If your goal is to take a walk after dinner, it will be easier if you put your walking shoes on before you sit down to eat and hang your jacket over your chair. If those things are back in the closet, well, out of sight, out of mind.
• If your goal is to eat more regularly throughout the day, it will be easier if you have pre-planned what to eat and set a reminder when the time comes to eat.

Make sense?

At a minimum, assess your environment using the topics below. And if you want to do a deeper dive, this article on building an environment that supports you is filled with tips. Or, you know, reply to this email to see if I am licensed in your state then schedule an appointment with me through Nourish. Most people have no out-of-pocket costs.

People.  

Who supports you? Stick with them as much as you can.

Who doesn’t support you or takes you into situations with lots of temptations? Even if it’s a happy hour friend, alcohol lowers your food inhibitions so that seemingly harmless situation can drastically change your food choices.

For these people, what conversation do you need to have with them? Plan for it: what will you say, practice saying it, decide what they can do to best support you? Offer to support them with something too!

Hopefully, this will not apply BUT if these conversations could be potentially dangerous for you emotionally or physically, please seek appropriate guidance, support, and assistance. Do not endanger yourself – better safe than sorry. And getting help from a mental health therapist on boundary setting can make all the difference.

Start by asking your medical provider or insurance company representative for their recommended therapist. There are also some resources for the USA include Psychology Today’s directory, and there are many app-based services too like TalkSpace or BetterHelp. (No affiliations with any of these).

Places & Situations.

Think though where you go and the situations you typically encounter.

Ask yourself:

• Which ones support your goals, and which ones derail you?
• At home or in other places, what do you need to change?
• Is your schedule making it more difficult, how could you change your schedule?
• Are you going to social events that are full of temptation, how can you change your actions and choices at these events?

Things.

What things around you could you get rid of or put away somewhere to better support you?

What things that do support you can you put within view and make easy to reach? This is where moving the vegetables to the front of the fridge comes into play.

Try this out as an affirmation this week: When I set myself up for success, anything is possible!

Now, get going! Take a break from those gut-it-out goals and build your environment to support you.

Medical Nutrition Therapy

Yes, RDs can help with designing your environment to support your nutrition goals, and lots of other behavior change strategies! You may be surprised at how much this can help.

My main jams are heart health, breaking food rules to improve people’s relationship with food, and weight loss including supporting those on weight loss medication and stopping binge eating (but not accepting diagnosed binge eating disorder).

If you are ready, let’s do it!

• Reply to this email to ask if I am licensed in your state.
• Go to my provider page, choose a date/time and start the scheduling process. NOTE: Even if I’m not licensed in your state, click to my page, then click Find Your Dietitian and filter using the drop downs at the top of the page.
• One of the first screens will let know if your health insurance is accepted by Nourish.
• Before you finish the booking process, you will enter your insurance information and get an estimate of the expected costs.
• And 95% of people have no out-of-pocket costs!!

And, of course, you can reply to this email if you have questions or want to be hooked up with another amazing RD at Nourish. I’m happy to help! 

About Alexia Lewis RD

Hi there! I’m Alexia and I believe in science, humor, and delicious food.

I believe you shouldn’t sacrifice your mental health in pursuit of better physical health. You deserve to be both happy and healthy. You don’t have to choose just one. I’ve been working with people to improve this balance while still meeting their food and lifestyle goals since 2012.

I am a master’s level nutritionist who is also a registered and licensed dietitian in multiple states in the USA, a certified personal trainer, and certified health coach. I also invested in becoming a culinary nutritionist and weight management specialist. In other words, I got you.

References:

BBC. The Mindset That Brings Unlimited Willpower, published January 3, 2023.

Vitality Nutrition. How To Build An Environment That Supports Your Goals + Helps You Get “In Control” Of Your Cravings, published June 7, 2022.