A Gradual Approach to Healthy Eating

A healthy diet is the most important component of overall health and wellbeing. Unfortunately, changing your diet can be extremely challenging. It’s very rewarding in the short-term to eat unhealthy foods. It feels good to eat chips or a chocolate bar.

Broccoli feels good, but only when you look at yourself in the mirror six months in the future. Change your diet and change your health for the better with these strategies:

#1 - Start with the end in mind

What is your ideal diet? This is important to figure out before going to the next step. Moving from your current diet to a ketogenic diet is very different than moving to a vegan diet.

Do some research regarding which diets are healthy for someone with your current health status. Also, consider your food preferences. For example, if you love meat, a vegan diet would be quite challenging. Or we can see our doctors for more personalized advice.

#2 - Break the diet change into steps

Start slowly. Massive change is usually too challenging to maintain. Give yourself several months, if necessary, to completely change your diet. If you’re feeling even moderately uncomfortable, you’re going too fast.

Start with small changes. For instance, you might decide to cut back on processed carbohydrates and replace those calories with beans or lentils. Keep moving the ratios in a positive direction until you’ve reached your goals.

#3 - Cut back on unhealthy foods

You can’t just add in healthy foods. It’s important to limit the unhealthy foods, too. Good foods add to your health, and unhealthy food steal it away.

Imagine you eat three candy bars each day, but you only want to eat one. You could have 2.5 candy bars each day this week. Eat two the following week, and so on, until you’re not eating any at all. It’s slower than you might like, but it works.

Make a list of all the unhealthy foods you regularly consume. Create a plan for minimizing their presence in your diet.

#4 - Consider your beverages

Beverages can be loaded with calories and unhealthy chemicals. They’re easy to consume and don’t take up a lot of room in your stomach. Drink a lot of water and satisfy your thirst that way. Wean yourself off unhealthy beverages slowly.

#5 - Find foods you enjoy

If your new diet calls for nuts, find some nuts that you enjoy. If you hate cashews, don’t eat them. If you love apples, but don’t like bananas, then don’t eat bananas. Look for options that fit your diet that appeal to you.

#6 - Understand that perfection isn’t necessary

Is a couple of candy bars each week going to be a problem? Of course not. It’s not important to be 100% perfect to gain all the health benefits a diet has to offer. If 90% of your meals conform to your diet, you’re doing extremely well. 80% is decent. 70% isn’t too bad. Avoid beating yourself up because you had an error in judgment or a weak moment.

Summary

What type of diet do you want to adopt? This is the important first step. Slowly adapt your current diet to match your new diet. This can take several months to do effectively. While it’s tempting to make rapid changes, they simply don’t work for the vast majority of the population.

Find foods you enjoy that support good health and keep your calories under control. That’s really the primary goal regardless of the specific diet.

The 5 Secrete Attitudes Make You Crave Healthy Foods

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of obesity was 42.4% in 2017~2018, less than 14% of Americans are consuming the recommended 2 to 4 daily servings of fruit, and less than 9% consume 3 to 5 servings of vegetables.

If you’re going to beat the odds, you may need to rewire your brain so you crave Brussel sprouts more than bacon. Each time you choose healthier foods, you’re strengthening your desire for them. Take a look at these suggestions for changing the way you think and eat.

#1 - Remember Your Purpose

Everything comes with a purpose. If your purpose is important enough then the chances are you’ll try everything until you find the right way. Focus on why you want to eat nutritious whole foods. Cutting down on empty calories can help you look and feel your best. You’ll have more energy, and you may even save on medical bills.

#2 - Study Nutrition

The more you know about how your diet affects your health, the stronger your motivation will be. Schedule a session with a registered dietician or browse online to learn more about reading food labels and restaurant menus. If you spend more time on learning which foods could benefit you the most, the truth is that you are more likely to put them in your diet.

#3 - Plan Ahead

If this is the case: you’ve tried so hard to come out with a beautiful plan with great healthy food. Won’t you follow it? Or ask yourself if a few minutes of munching on corn chips is worth the consequences. Would your future self be better off if you snacked on baby carrots?

#4 - Focus On Non-Edible Rewards

If emotional eating is a concern, you may need to seek gratification elsewhere. Reward yourself by watching a movie or spending time with friends. Or do everything else you love, such as playing the guitar, reading a novel, etc.

#5 - Enlist Support

Speaking of family and friends, social support is vital. Surround yourself with others who are trying to eat well so you can share encouragement and feedback. You will then understand soon that everybody is facing the same difficulties, and then you can actually think of great ideas together to solve the problems!

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Imagine looking forward to a bowl of beets with the same enthusiasm you usually reserve for double-fudge brownies. Some simple mental training, along with adjusting a few lifestyle habits, will have you craving food that’s good for you.