A habit is something you get used to, sometimes since childhood. Drinking coffee, hair pulling, smoking, and eating fast food are routines that are difficult to get rid of. Unfortunately, some of them are detrimental to one’s health, so it may be wise always to keep it in check. What you eat affects your body. Excessive intake of unhealthy food may lead to illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. So a change of lifestyle and a switch to healthy meal prep are good ways to ensure that you live long and strong.
Most standard eating customs stem from childhood. Some of them are good, while a few of them should not have been practised in the first place. But one thing is for sure – it is not too late to change them. There is no need to make sudden modifications to your diet, as it may cause more damage than good. Gradually improving healthy food habits is the best approach to better living.
What are your current eating habits?
Before you take off on your road to eating healthy, you first need to know what you have been doing most of your life. A food diary will help you identify what you eat and when you eat it. Sometimes, you do not know that a habit controls you until you recognise it as such. So you can also write down if you were stressed if say, you ate a bar of chocolate just before a meeting, or some brownies after that. A stressful situation could also be a trigger point whenever you eat between meals.
Highlight the unhealthy eating habits. Examples of these are eating when you are not hungry, having a sugar-laden dessert immediately after a meal, or skipping breakfast (or lunch and dinner.) Overeating during a holiday is often acceptable, but not when it happens every day. So in this way, you can detect why you eat at a certain time or in a specific manner. Then you can work on eliminating them one at a time. This diary may seem time-consuming for some, but it works.
What can you replace them with?
You can purge yourself of unhealthy eating habits by replacing them with healthier ones. The most obvious suggestion is for you to eat whenever you are hungry. But if you cannot avoid that, then you should find something doable. For instance, instead of reaching for junk food in between meals, you can have some sliced fruits or vegetables. A slow eater eats less food. But if you eat fast, there is a good chance that you have more intake than you need. Slow down by putting your fork down in between bites.
Fast food is the main staple in a working person’s daily life. Unfortunately, it is also the key factor in unhealthy living. If you eat a lot of it, then you may be susceptible to illnesses such as hypertension due to its fat and cholesterol content. If you cannot prepare your meals before you go to work, then some healthy meal delivery companies can do the work for you.
Having balanced meals is easy once you know what you need. Just like any habit, new ones will take time to develop. But once you adapt to it, you are well on your way to a whole new, healthier life.
