Inculcate Good Eating Habits To Live Life To The Fullest
Every day, when you sit down to eat your meals or snacks, you might not think about that particular food's impact on your health 20 years or even 10 years down the line. However, what you put inside your body, day after day, impacts your health and lifestyle for years to come. This is where the saying 'you are what you eat' stems from – if you eat healthy, you will lead a healthy life. If not, the consequences will also last a lifetime.
In fact, several lifestyle ailments – high blood pressure, diabetes, PCOS, and more – are linked to your food. Your food choices affect every part of the body, including the heart, liver, kidneys, and brain. Interestingly, different foods can both cause and prevent diseases, making good eating habits more important.
Eating healthy doesn't just help you prevent diseases or lose weight; it also directly impacts mental health. A diet rich in vitamins and minerals can help prevent issues like anxiety and depression. On the other hand, unhealthy food like refined carbs (white bread, pasta, bakery products) can make you feel sluggish and less alert. Therefore, eating healthy can positively impact the length and quality of your life.
So, what should you eat?
When thinking about food, it's important to remember that there is no bad food, but the excess of everything is bad. Strive for a balanced diet replete with fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Avoid binging on bakery items, fried foods, and high-calorie desserts that have no nutritional value. Instead, practice moderation and stick to smaller portion sizes when it comes to these foods so you can still enjoy them guilt-free. Finally, eat mindfully and don't overstuff yourself even if you're eating the healthiest meal.
Changing longstanding eating habits
If you're used to indulging in decadent desserts post-dinner or ordering junk food every other day, you might feel like it is impossible to break out of these habits. You might have even tried and failed to quit your most-loved foods in the past. Granted, it is not easy to break habits that have formed over years or even decades, but it is certainly not impossible. Here are a few steps that can help you adopt good eating habits for life:
Change your environment – If your kitchen shelves and cabinets are stocked with chips, chocolates, and sugary snacks, then that's what you'll reach out for when you feel peckish. Replace the junk food from your immediate environment with healthy snacks like nuts, yoghurt, fruit, and low-fat alternatives to your favourite snacks. This will help you make better decisions when your hunger is at its peak.
·Learn to make your own meals – Just the basics will also do. If you know how to cook a few things that you enjoy, you can do so at home instead of ordering in. When you go grocery shopping, choosing healthy ingredients will further encourage you to cook and eat healthy at home. This can benefit the whole family, from the eldest to the youngest member.
·Drink more water – Many times, when you feel you're famished, you're actually low on hydration. Yes, the body can confuse hunger and thirst. So, next time you feel like chomping down on a snack between meals, try drinking a glass of water – it might just do the trick.
Take small steps – When switching to a healthier eating pattern, it's best to take baby steps to avoid overwhelming your body and mind. Try to eat enough calories to sustain your daily activities while cutting out just a few unhealthy foods at a time to adopt better eating habits sustainably.
Bridge nutritional gaps – Often, we may eat the healthiest diet and still miss out on essential nutrients such as Vitamin D, Calcium, Vitamin B12, probiotics, etc. Thus, it is vital to get tested for deficiencies and close these nutritional gaps through diets or natural supplements. When the body has enough nutrients, it leads to fewer cravings and fewer chances of binging unhealthy food, helping you stay on track with your healthy habits.
Your body works hard round the clock to keep you alive. Make sure you provide the proper nutrients to continue doing so optimally for years to come!
