A new year doesnt mean you’re gonna wanna be a new you.

Instead, learn how to put yourself first and nourish yourself in a way that works for you.

DIET has become a four-letter wordone that both wellness companies and nutrition experts are erasing from their vocabulary.

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McCarvell: Courtesy of Subject. Collage: Cassie Basford.

And for good reason: strict diets just don’t work for most people over the long haul.

But quitting dieting doesn’t mean giving up on good health.

Non-diet dietitians are amassing huge followings on social media.

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Schmieding: Kevin Winter/Getty Images. Collage: Cassie Basford.

Dieting isn’t making you healthier.

Research also shows that dieting isn’t a good choice for long-term well-being either.

These behaviors have mental health consequences like ongoing anxiety, guilt and shame around food.

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Valerio: Arika Bauer/zionadventurephotog.com. Collage: Cassie Basford.

Your relationship with food should bring you joy.

Food can have cultural significance, provide comfort and be a way to connect with others.

The non-diet approach is about respecting your body and eating to feel good.

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Maher: Michael Kovac/Getty Images. Collage: Cassie Basford.

Another reason to give the non-diet approach a try is that it really does help you feel your best.

4 tips for how to eat to feel your best

1.

If at first your cravings are screaming “doughnuts!”

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Lawrence: Robin L Marshall/Getty Images. Collage: Cassie Basford.

all the time, give yourself some grace.

Eat the doughnuts, and remind yourself that food doesn’t have moral value.

“It’s important to approach this with curiosity.”

a recipe photo of the Chocolate Chip Coconut granola bars being sliced into bars

Fred Hardy

If you leave a meal feeling stuffed, don’t beat yourself up or consider the meal a failure.

Appreciate your body for what it can do.

That’s pretty amazing, and supporting your body should make you feel amazing rather than ashamed.

a recipe photo of Tofu, Mushroom & Bok Choy Soba Noodle Bowls

Recipe Photo: Greg Dupree. Design: Cassie Basford.

We are humans, not robots, after all.

Do certain meals leave you feeling energized, while others make you a little sluggish?

Do some foods sit better in your stomach than others?

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Are certain recipes really satisfying, while others leave you wanting something more?

All of this information will help you make informed decisions about what eating well looks like for you.

Ultimately, eating well is about learning what feels best for you and your body.

a collage featuring juices and a food scale with a knife and fork in the form of an “X”

But eating well isn’t about checking certain boxes or following arbitrary rules.

It’s about casting those rules aside and figuring out what works best for you.

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