Eating habits are ingrained in many of us in childhood. For example, if your parents expected you to clean your plate, as an adult you may still feel that leaving food on the plate is wasteful. Often, however, eating the way we were required to as children does not promote healthy eating habits, and because of this, many of us end up eating far more than what our bodies actually need.
To lose weight, many people adopt drastic diet changes. But even if you lose weight, you may end up picking it all up again plus extra the moment you go back to normal eating.
The problem with these fast weight loss plan diets is that you may end up following a low-calorie diet that does nothing for your nutritional requirements. Eating a lettuce leaf and a slice of tomato for dinner every day is not appealing or sustainable. Following severely calorie-restricted diets could deprive you of adequate nutrition, and you may end up with food cravings and health issues.
What you need is not fad diets based on myths, but long-term healthy eating habits. These three steps can help you get there.
Before making changes to integrate healthy eating habits into your daily routine, it is important to take a look at what your eating habits are to begin with.
First, while maintaining your normal diet, keep a food diary for a week. In it, write down everything you eat, and the time you are eating it. Also, add what you were feeling at the time. Were you tired, hungry, stressed, or frustrated? The latter will give you an idea as to why you are eating.
While doing your diary, take note of whether you have any of these eating habits. They commonly lead to weight gain.
Do you:
Once you have started identifying the unhealthy eating patterns you have adopted over the years, you can begin to make changes toward healthy eating habits that work for you. And remember to congratulate yourself for those things you do right! An orange after dinner, while technically a dessert, is a great food choice!
The second big step is identifying your triggers. Look for the things that make it easier for you to eat too much, even when you are not hungry.
Common triggers include:
And the list of triggers can be long. Add any you notice are a problem for you. Once you have identified your triggers, try to work out a strategy to avoid them. For example, if someone offers you a treat, practice saying, “No, thank you,” or consider telling friends and family in advance that you are trying to change your eating habits, and please not to offer you treats.
One of the best ways of getting rid of unhealthy eating habits is to replace them with healthy eating habits.
If you know you eat too fast, take the time to chew your food. Count to a hundred before swallowing each mouthful. You might also want to turn off the television while eating. Watching the television while you eat can distract you from your food. You may even end up eating more than you need.
If you always eat sweets after dinner, replace it with a bit of fruit or a special herbal tea instead.
The trick is to only eat when you are hungry. When you catch yourself looking for a snack, stop and take the time to ask yourself why you want it. Is it because you are tired, bored, or stressed out? Try drinking a glass of water while you think it over, as thirst also often masquerades as hunger.
If you aren’t hungry, try to find an activity to occupy yourself and distract you from food. Take the dog for a walk, water your plants, or deep clean your bathroom, for example.
Another trick is to ensure all snacks kept in your home are healthy ones. Planning your meals ahead of time also helps you stick to only buying the ingredients you need each time you go shopping. This may not only result in healthy eating habits but save you money as well.
Having some healthy snacks ready to go and planned ahead of time, like nuts and carrot sticks, is also a great way to encourage yourself to reach for something healthy.
Research increasingly points to a close correlation between healthy eating habits and your general health and wellbeing. One of the body systems that benefit from what you eat is your endocrine system.
Your endocrine system is made up of a number of hormone-releasing glands throughout your body, including the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thyroid gland, ovaries, testicles, pancreas, and adrenal glands. These hormones play a major role in vital bodily functions like reproduction, blood pressure, metabolism, and heart rate.
Your hormone levels may become unbalanced during times of stress when your NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response sacrifices the production of some hormones for others. This can lead to issues like weight gain, craving sweet and salty foods, and fatigue, for example. Adrenal fatigue, a result of chronic stress and endocrine imbalance, can also lead to persistent weight loss issues.
Studies suggest that your diet also plays a major role in your gut action, concentrations of metabolites found your blood, your signaling pathways, and gut hormone levels. Adopting a balanced diet can be key to resolving many health problems.
Protein, for example, may play a role in appetite reduction by causing a decrease in ghrelin production. This hormone tends to increase your appetite. Protein may also increase hormones associated with the feeling of satiation.
Sugar and refined carbs could cause spikes in blood sugar levels that cause your body to produce more insulin. If this carries on for a long period, you may develop insulin resistance. Healthy fats, on the other hand, like medium-chain triglycerides, may help reduce insulin resistance. Coconut oil is an example of such a fat.
Omega-3 fatty acids, such as those commonly found in fish, may be of benefit to both somatic and adrenal health. This is because of its beneficial effect on your inflammatory system, autonomic nervous system, and the primary neuroendocrine pathway your brain uses to convert stress signals into hormones.
Your body is a finely tuned instrument that, to a large degree, depends on good input to give good output. Your input is what you eat. Noticing what unhealthy habits you have picked up over the years, what situations trigger overeating, and creating strategies to reverse those habits are key ways to transition to lifetime healthy eating. Healthy eating habits give your body exactly what it needs to function properly.
© Copyright 2020 Michael Lam, M.D. All Rights Reserved.
Healthy eating habits should be a long-term lifestyle change. Try to reduce your sugar and refined carbohydrate intake, while upping your intake of healthy fats and organic fruits and vegetables. Lean beef, chicken, and fish are good protein options.
