Healthy Eating Habits
It’s no secret that healthy eating habits increase your quality of life. The food you choose to fuel your body with, and how much of it you consume, affects just about every aspect of your health including your mood, stress level, your body’s ability to fight disease, your ability to concentrate, your physical appearance, and physical performance. You only get one body in this life, and it’s important to treat it with respect. You can’t trade it in once you’ve worn it out. Healthy eating is a major piece to the puzzle.
It can be difficult to change eating habits, especially considering that most of us live incredibly busy lives. We often revert to our established habits when we don’t have (or make) time to think things through and be mindful of our choices. Awareness, therefore, is the first step to making a change. To get started, I recommend keeping a food diary. Not only does this make you aware of what foods you’re eating and how much you’re eating, it will also help you become aware of any unhealthy eating habits you have developed. Common unhealthy eating habits include:
- Eating too fast
- Always cleaning your plate
- Eating when not hungry
- Eating in front of the TV
- Always eating dessert
- Skipping meals
- Drinking juice or soda
Once you’ve identified what your unhealthy eating habits are, you can begin to take small steps to change them. Here are some tips to help you address a few of these common habits.
- Eating too fast/overeating
If you struggle with eating too fast, try putting the fork down between bites. Eating too quickly often causes you to overeat before your brain has the chance to realize you are full. You can also minimize distractions while you’re eating, such as watching TV, to help you remain conscious of how quickly you’re eating. Eating meals with others can also help you slow down because you are taking time to relax and talk with them. In order to avoid overeating, try eating from smaller plates. This will trick your brain into thinking you’re getting more food, because a smaller portion fills up the same amount of space on a smaller plate. Put your snacks on a plate as well. If you eat straight from a bag, you can’t tell how much of something you’ve eaten. If you have it on a plate, not only will you have it pre-portioned, you can also clearly see how much you’ve eaten.
2. Eating when not hungry
Sometimes, when I have a rare moment of nothing to do, I’m certain I hear my refrigerator calling to me. If you find yourself tempted to grab a snack out of boredom, try a different activity instead. Find something active to do that will distract you. Maybe call a friend or go for a walk. Find something active to do that will occupy your mind.
3. Skipping meals
Skipping meals is so easy to do. You get caught up in work or chores and errands or the kids, and before you know it, it’s 4 pm and you haven’t eaten all day and you’re famished. So what do you do? You head to the pantry and grab whatever you can find that’s quick. Or, if you’re like me, you find yourself in the cracker aisle at the grocery store and purchase a bag of goldfish crackers (flavor blasted, obviously) and then proceed to eat the entire bag. Skipping or delaying meals has a variety of consequences including low energy, mood swings, and slowing your metabolism. Meal planning can help you avoid this catastrophe. Not only will you be more likely to eat healthier meals, you will also be more likely to prepare and eat them since you take away the step of deciding what to eat. Shop with a grocery list. This way you will be less likely to end up in the cracker aisle with a bag of goldfish. Keeping healthy snacks on hand is also very helpful. I like to take a lunch box and toss in some fruits and veggies, maybe some greek yogurt or a protein shake. Even if I don’t have time to eat a full meal during the day, eating several healthy snacks periodically helps prevent the end-of-the-day binge.
4. Drinking juices or sodas
I hate to say it, but orange juice isn’t actually that great for you. While it is a good source of vitamin C, one glass of orange juice contains almost as much sugar as a glass of Coca Cola. Drinking so much sugar leads to several health consequences including blood sugar spikes and weight gain. Swap out your sugary drinks (including juices) for water. “Diet” sodas or “zero sugar” drinks, even though they might claim to be healthier for you, are no substitute for water. It might be difficult at first. Your body will probably tell you that you need a sweet drink with your meal. It will get easier with time! I am picky about my water, and I’ve found I am more likely to drink it if it’s filtered and very cold. I carry a HydroFlask with me, and it keeps my water icy cold all day long!
The main thing to remember is to take it one step at a time. Set yourself up for success. Be kind to yourself. If you mess up, don’t beat yourself up. You will be less likely to continue to make changes if you feel you are always failing. Focus on adding healthy foods to your diet rather than taking things away. Replace unhealthy foods in your house with fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low fat dairy products. Swap out oils for healthy ones such as avocado oil, olive oil, and coconut oil. Eat popcorn instead of chips. Be adventurous! Try one new healthy recipe a week. Replace old, unhealthy habits with new, healthy ones instead of simply trying to get rid of the unhealthy habits.
Eating healthy is investing in YOU. You are worth the effort. You can do this!
One small step at a time.
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