Beginning to choose healthy food seems so simple, right? You say no to ‘bad’ food and yes to ‘good’ food.
Yet, many of us overeat, suffer from countless stomach issues, are overweight, and are still undernourished.
The diet industry is partly to blame; so many theories about what foods can make you lose weight—curbing carbs, increasing carbs, eating zero fat – or having a high-fat diet. Unless you are a dietician, all of this cannot be very clear.
Combined with the food industry offering cheaper and less healthy ingredients and millions of people on a low income, it is a recipe for disaster.
So if you haven’t been good to yourself lately, or you want to make some changes in the future – here are some gentle ways that you can choose healthy foods.
Avoid Claiming a Fad Diet
Try to avoid saying you are on a diet or that you are only eating healthy from now on. That is the language we always use and usually doesn’t work. Instead, say something like – I am going to eat extra vegetables every day.
Adding more nutritious food is a great start. Over time you can have more greens and less fried goods. Then, when you start to feel better, you’ll want to maintain that feeling.
21 Days to Form a Good Habit
It doesn’t take long for things to become a habit either. Studies show it sometimes takes less than twenty-one days. During those three weeks, there will be some highs and some lows. For example, you might decide you want to eat a pizza with a side of fries.
Allow yourself to have setbacks since this is a process. You are not restricting your food intake, so don’t feel guilty. You are just transitioning to a healthier lifestyle by choosing healthy food over highly-processed foods, making you feel bloated and heavy.
Give yourself time to adjust to your new way of approaching your food choices.
Benefits of Eating Healthy Food
The benefits you get for making these changes should be at the forefront of your mind at all times. At the moment, it can feel like you aren’t making the changes that you want to make. So it would help if you kept a firm grasp on the benefit you get from making these changes.
Often people’s primary goal is weight loss, but with a little bit of weight loss, people often feel like they have more energy. That energy gets used in moving more; moving more aids the weight loss. Diet and hearing loss are linked, and so are many other health issues. So there are a lot of benefits to choosing healthy food.
This is part of the new healthy cycle, but it happens over time, so you must keep that in mind. Every healthy choice you make will get you closer to your ultimate goal.
Accountability Partner
Share your healthy eating plan with someone who can hold you responsible, whether a spouse, friend, or coworker. For example, if you have a friend aiming for the same thing, you can hold each other accountable for your decisions.
You can talk on walks together, or go to the gym, try new restaurants and recipes, and maybe join a group on social media. Encourage each other to go further and do more.
Choose a friend known for the tenacity and dedication to what they want to achieve – they won’t let you slip.
Are you interested in hearing more about the benefits of healthy eating? How Eating a Healthy Diet Also Benefits the Environment.
