Introduction
Changing your diet doesn't have to be stressful. For a start, you need to become more conscious about what you eat and how it influences your health. Your journey towards a healthy lifestyle may seem challenging at times, especially initially, but as you're making progress, you will find it more enjoyable. Below you can find five helpful tips to keep you on the right track of improving your everyday eating habits.
#1 Throw out conventional wisdom
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and oatmeal is the perfect choice for a fresh start. A large part of what we know is the consequence of the food industry chain, but some are more myths than reality. It would help if you thought about two points - what is right for your own body and what is scientifically proved. Eating three times a day is a habit of modern society, but historically, humankind didn't have a breakfast-lunch-dinner plan to stick to, and it survived until today.
For example, try skipping breakfast or dinner for a few weeks - depending on what you're more comfortable with. The results may surprise you. Recently popular and very effective diets like intermittent fasting are based on this idea.
#2 Understand your evolution
It's no coincidence that what we enjoy most eating is also what causes obesity. We have evolved to like the taste of sugar and fats because those things contain the most calories, which is something our ancient ancestors needed. However, they lived far different lives from us today. They ate only when they could find food, and they were always on the move. Their food was not processed and enriched with more sugars and fats, and it contained nearly no carbs.
To ensure healthier eating habits be in tune with what you evolved to be. Move more often, don't eat too often (unless your workout regime or health condition necessitates it), avoid eating processed foods and carbs and unnecessary snacks, and try to eat organic products whenever you can. Diets like the paleo are based on this principle.
#3 Healthy eating is not complicated
Many people are reluctant to try a healthier eating regime because the number of factors to consider can be overwhelming. Counting calories, macronutrients, different diets, supplements, eating at specific times can make your head spin. Drinking and eating a bland mixture of food/drink because some say it's "healthy" makes things more challenging. Also, spending countless hours in the kitchen preparing complicated meals, or hundreds or thousands of dollars on healthy food, is expensive in terms of your sanity, not just money.
All these things can easily discourage anyone from even trying. However, improving your everyday eating habits can be far more straightforward than that. Your instinct and logic are already telling you the main things you need to know:
- Lay off the sweets, snacks, sodas, etc.
- Fast food was designed to be tasty, not healthy.
- If the cavemen ate it, it's probably good for you; if not - it's perhaps not.
- Too much of anything is not suitable for you, be moderate.
- Diversity in your food is always better than eating one single thing over and over.
- Home-cooked meals are both cheaper and healthier than dining out.
Just these few common-sense guidelines are enough to make a massive difference in your eating habits - so start with that, keep learning and discovering new ways to improve.
There is no excuse not to eat healthily. Even when you are traveling or relocating, you can maintain a healthy diet. Don't forget that the food you eat will impact your energy levels, mood, and productivity. If you make certain non-perishable foods are properly treated during transport, you can even ship them from one place to another. See, all you need is a bit of determination.
#4 Reset your preferences
Have you ever wondered how most of those fit, healthy, active people always praise healthy foods, greens, and vegetables, saying how much they love it? Meanwhile, your food preferences include Big Mac, pizza, deep-fried everything, and a copious amount of chocolate. No, they are not faking it. Most of them love the healthy stuff.
However, people don't just wake up one day and start praying to Holly Broccoli. It takes some time for your brain to adapt to healthier food and start craving instead of the unhealthy alternative. Nevertheless, there is a cool method many people already tried to lose weight in the lockdown, which can speed up the process. You can use it, especially if you have a few extra pounds to get rid of.
Extended fasting is something humans have been doing since the dawn of time, and we're only now realizing its true potential. It works by jump-starting the ketogenic process making your body turn to its fat stores for fuel. The microbiome in our stomach alters and reduces our cravings for unhealthy food we usually eat, and our minds become more apparent as the toxins leave our bodies.
Our cells regenerate, and excess fat burns at record speed. If this sounds appealing, consult with your doctor, do your research and give it a try. Just a few days without any food will make you more appreciative of the healthier options.
#5 It's not all about food
A healthier way of eating or different diets are a great way to introduce a positive change into your life. Unfortunately, many of us find it hard to be consistent and are too impatient to see the results. An excellent way to remain motivated is to improve the other aspects of our lives to achieve a healthier style overall. Getting enough sleep, sleeping regularly, introducing any physical activity, and spending time outdoors will make a huge difference.
You don't have to make a radical change overnight. Start small, set your goals for each of these, and work your way towards them. Don't beat yourself up over a non-healthy meal or two, a few" lazy" days, or stuff like that. Introduce foods that improve your health and reduce the number of unhealthy ones, step by step. We're all human, and as long as we're on the right path, it's perfectly fine to go at your own pace.
Conclusion
Changing your eating behaviour will take time, commitment, and persistence. Still, you'll see how every little step on the path of improving your everyday eating habits is essential - as it leads you to a better and healthier life.
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