FITNESS Friday

10 Habits that promote healthy eating

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be a difficult process like numerous people believe. In fact, there are many simple changes you can make in your everyday life that promote a healthy diet. Read below to find out more.

Change your environment to avoid unhealthy eating.

Many times, you will find yourself snacking when you weren’t even planning to. We often set ourselves up for failure by having unhealthy snacks readily accessible and in locations that will trigger a craving. On the other hand, healthy snacks are a key component of a healthy diet.  Snacks like fruit (e.g., strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries), nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts), greek yogurt, and low-sugar, low-carb protein bars. You could also avoid bringing junk food into the home altogether.

Drink plenty of water.

Water is a great way to hydrate your body and flush your system. If you need your drinks to have flavor, you could look into buying or even making your own flavored waters. For instance, infuser water bottles have a compartment for fruit that flavors the water naturally. It’s okay if you an occasional soda. Just make sure you chase it with some spring water.

Use smaller plates and bowls at meal times.

People tend to eat more when they use larger plates and bowls. This is because we feel the need to fill the container. Using a smaller plate helps you consume a smaller portion. This is also a good way to trick your brain into thinking you’ve consumed more, meaning you’ll feel full with less food. On the flip side, you could also use this trick to consume more healthy foods by using larger plates and bigger containers.

Keep a food and drink log.

Maintain a log of everything you eat and drink for one week. At the end of the week, analyze your eating habits to learn what your unhealthy habits are and what causes them. Use this information to make adjustments. Revisit this log once every few months to make sure you stay on track with a heathy diet.

Sneak vegetables into your food.

Vegetables are really easy to sneak into the most unsuspecting foods. For example, vegetables puree well and can be easily mixed into casseroles, pasta dishes, and even desserts. This is an especially good trick to use with young children.

Eat a good breakfast.

Many people mistakenly believe that skipping breakfast helps you lose weight and avoid overeating. On the contrary, skipping breakfast can damage your metabolism, meaning your body doesn’t process nutrients as well and stores more fat. You should eat breakfast every day. A good breakfast includes:

Low to moderate amounts of whole grains

High fiber

Saturated & Monounsaturated fats, Low sugar, and moderate amounts of salt

Find healthy alternatives for your cravings.

Whether you’re a texture or a taste person, there is an alternative to every unhealthy snack. For example, let’s say you’re craving the crunch of a potato chip. Rather than snacking on greasy, salty potato chips, you could crunch on carrots instead. You could also try making your own chips out of different vegetables. Additionally, fruits are a great alternative when you’re craving something sweet. 

Incorporate variety into your meals.

Each meal should have a variety of textures and colors. Visually, this makes the food more appealing, which increases your likelihood of desiring healthy food. You can “color up” your meals by playing around with adding various fruits and vegetables.

Plan your meal ahead of time.

Meal prepping has many benefits. It’s fun. It promotes healthy eating. And it’s a great way to save money. Plan your meals ahead of time and only purchase the ingredients necessary for those meals. Again, if you don’t buy the unhealthy snacks or other harmful foods, you won’t eat them.

Use other coping skills for emotions.

You’ve likely heard the term “eating your feelings”. This is a very real concern for many people. Stress, sadness, and boredom are all common causes of unhealthy snacking and/or overeating. Before you enter these emotional states, learn about healthy coping skills that you can use instead of always going to food. Be prepared to engage in these coping skills whenever they’re needed. For example, keep a journal nearby, have items available that you can chew on, or drink some flavored water to bridge you over to your next meal.

Source Links

https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/eating_habits.html

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/eight-tips-for-healthy-eating/

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Continuing Challenge:

Last Friday I posted my weight at the end of the first FITNESS Friday article and I’ll continue to do so next Friday, and the one after that, and so on. The intent is to accomplish two things: 1) It will serve to hold me accountable. 2) It will show you that you’re not alone, that we’re fighting the same battle.

Weight as of May 11, 2024: 244 lbs. Weight as of May 17, 2024: 235 lbs. (I had a good week. Tough, but good.)

If you want some assistance in dropping a few pounds, check out my article on weight loss and diet at : https://www.theunreliablemind.com/blog/weight-loss-from-the-inside-out

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