How to develop good eating habits

Today Dizzy has a guest post all about developing good eating habits! Something which I am constantly telling Dizzy does not mean just eating more ginger nut biscuits….

We hope you find these tips as interesting and helpful as we have! 🙂 xx

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When you’re looking to get healthier or to lose weight, then it’s common for people to go for the all-or-nothing approach. Mover to a calorie-restricted diet, cut out entire food groups and follow fad diets. 

In truth, though these diets may work in the short term, they don’t address the issues. If you have really bad eating habits, then you’re going to return to the same position you were in before you started the diet. 

The goal should be to get into good habits that you can maintain for a lifetime, rather than yo-yo back and forth between your unhealthy ways and unsustainable and frankly boring diets. 

So while it might take a little longer, here are some tips to develop a long-term, more sustainable relationship with food. 

 

Things to consider before you start

This advice is meant to help people who might have developed some bad eating habits or don’t know much about nutrition. If you have an eating disorder or believe your issues come from a larger emotional issue, then you need to consult with a specialist to get the help and advice tailored to you. 

 

Educate yourself about food

You don’t have to become a nutritionist but getting to know more about food and nutrition is a great starting point. There are a lot of common misconceptions about food and its effect on the body. Having more knowledge in this area can help you to make better food choices and be able to view potential diets objectively. 

Knowing how food works to keep your body fuelled and healthy is important. If you’re into exercise too, knowing how to keep yourself healthy with supplements like Eat Protein™ and foods that keep your energy levels up and re-build your muscles. 

 

Learn to read labels

Learn to look beyond calories and understand just exactly what is in your food. Be on the lookout for sugars and saturated fats. Ingredients are listed according to the quantities found in the food, but just because an ingredient is further down the list, it doesn’t mean that it is not harmless. 

Salt levels within the food are also very important. Too much salt in your diet is very bad for your health and can increase your blood pressure as well as your chances of experiencing a heart attack or stroke. 

Certain foods marketed as ‘reduced fat’ or ‘diet’ aren’t always the healthiest options. In order to reduce calories and fat, manufacturers often put extra salt or sugar in them in order to make them taste good. 

Sugar often appears under other names on labels, including: 

• Fructose 
• Glucose 
• Dextrose
• Molasses
• Nectar
• Syrup

 

Don’t label foods as ‘good’ and ‘bad’

Unless you’re in training as an elite athlete or have any allergies or intolerances, then you shouldn’t be demonizing certain food groups. In a balanced diet, there is a place for everything in moderation and you don’t have the negative feelings associated with foods you consider to be bad for you. 

 

Eat mindfully 

How often do you eat without thinking about it? Sometimes we’re all guilty of eating in front of the TV or at our desks at work. We don’t pay attention to what we’re eating or how hungry we actually are. 

Make a point of being more mindful when you eat. Focus on the food, how it tastes, how you feel when you’re eating it, and stop when you’re full. Not only will you enjoy your food more, but you’ll also probably make better choices too. 

 

Identify your reasons and work around them

Is there a reason for your bad eating habits? Do you reach for takeout because you don’t have time to do a proper grocery shop? Or are you too tired when you get home from work to cook a meal from scratch? Many people eat out of boredom or when they’re upset. 

Once you’ve pinpointed the circumstances, then you can begin to do something about them. For example, you can meal prep at the weekend so that you have something quick and nutritious when you get home. 

If you’re often tired and tend to reach for the first thing to hand (often unhealthy), then filling your cupboards and refrigerator with quick and healthy snacks that don’t need much prep can break the cycle of unhealthy eating.