When striving to make healthy nutritional changes in our lives, we tend to gravitate toward the ways that will bring us fast results. However, by choosing to slowly incorporate sustainable habits we are more likely to find success. When we turn to the quick fix solutions, it leads to the vicious cycle of trying to adopt a new habit, getting frustrated when the habit doesn’t stick and then going back to our old tendencies. Instead, we need to choose sustainable practices to to adopt healthy nutrition habits that will stick around and help us live healthier and happier lives.
1 - Choose foods that fuel your physical and mental body
We have so many options when it comes to choosing what to put in our bodies. Narrow the choices by putting the focus on foods that fuel your body physically, mentally and/or spiritually. What does that mean?
Physical body - Consume food that fuels your physical body. Choose foods for the purpose they fulfill in your body and the nutrients they provide.
For example:
Consume a wide variety of vitamins and minerals by making fruits and vegetables the “stars of the show” on your plate.
Select lean protein (chicken, turkey, eggs, yogurt, tofu, nuts, beans, etc.) to make your hunger go away and stay away for a longer period of time.
Pick high-quality carbs, like whole grains, to give you energy.
Consume plenty of water to stay hydrated.
Mental body - Have you ever been so hungry that your mood shifts? Keep your mental state balanced by eating regularly and not depriving yourself of food. Let your food fulfill you by adopting mindful eating habits.
For example:
Prepare your food at home as much as you are able.
Before eating, take a few moments to breath, say thanks or pray for the food before you.
Take your time when eating and use all of your senses to savor your food.
Make your food look appetizing by choosing colorful foods, using nice dinnerware and plating your meal in a way that is appealing.
Share a meal with people you love. Enjoy the company of others with conversation while eating together.
2 - Eat when you’re hungry
People eat for many reasons beyond just hunger. Many of us use food or drink to manage our emotions. We find ourselves eating out of boredom, sadness, anger, stress, happiness, etc.
To get in tune with your body and only eat when you are hungry, check in with yourself using the hunger scale before reaching for food. On a scale of one to 10, with one being famished and 10 being overstuffed, where do you fall on the hunger scale? You want to strive to eat when you are in the range of three to six, and avoid getting too close to either end of the scale. If you wait until you are at a one or two to eat, you may end up overeating because you are so hungry. After eating, you want to feel satisfied in the seven or eight range, but not uncomfortably stuffed in the nine or ten range. By using the hunger scale, you can get more in sync with your physical cues for hunger.
If after using the hunger scale, you decide that you’re not really hungry, ask yourself why you’re reaching for food. Are you using food (or drink) to deal with an emotion (boredom, anger, sadness, stress, etc.)? There are many ways you can deal with your emotions that don’t involve food or drink. For example:
Connect with a family member or friend.
Move your body in a way you enjoy (going for a walk, run or hike; dancing; lifting weights; cycling; etc.)
Focus on your breath with meditation or a yoga practice
Play with your pet or kids/grandkids
Craft (knitting, drawing, painting, etc.)
Read a good book.
The key to managing your emotions without food or beverage is finding something that works for you.
3 - Make small changes gradually
It can seem overwhelming when you want to start making healthy nutritional changes in your life. Sometimes it may seem like you have so many new habits that you would like to adopt that you don’t know where to begin. Instead of getting overwhelmed by everything you want to change, start with something small that is realistically achievable. It helps to also reflect on what is important to you and what do you want to change for YOU. For example, maybe you want to drop your soda habit. If you are currently drinking five to six sodas a day, it is not going to be realistic to completely stop right away. Instead, you can make it your goal to substitute a bottle of water for just one of the sodas for a week. When you find success in that, you can then start substituting more water as you decrease your soda consumption. By making small changes and finding success, you are more likely to stick with the new habit because you are gaining more confidence as you achieve each small goal.
It also helps to perceive “bumps in the road” as learning opportunities instead of failures. By focusing on setbacks as learning opportunities, you can reflect on how you can do better next time instead of beating yourself up. Ask yourself, “What lead you to the bump in the road?” or “Why did you make the choice you did?” By reflecting and moving on, you will be better equipped to make the choices that will help you achieve your goals.