3 SUCCESSFUL TIPS FOR HEALTHY EATING EVEN BEFORE YOU TAKE YOUR FIRST BITE

For many, the word “diet” impresses a sense of restriction and a selection of dry food sources. Immediately, people are discouraged by the food choices they will have to consume, and the ones they can’t consume, during their period of healthy eating. Here are three easy tips you can follow to ease the stubbornness and dread of changing a diet. These three easy tips will provide you with the tools to approach a diet with an open and eager mind.

• Label food as “too much” and “too little” instead of “good” or “bad”.

Many create a habit of labeling food as good and bad instead of being mindful about moderation. For example, if you asked people how they would label burgers, hotdogs, chips, soda, candies, and ice cream they would immediately put those items under the “bad” food category. On the other hand, if you asked people how they would label fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, and seafood they would put these items under the “good” food category. As a nutritionist, I would never encourage someone to follow a diet made up of burgers, hotdogs, sodas, etc...; however, having a burger or hotdog in moderation during a diet phase is not such a terrible thing. Here’s why, burgers and hotdogs contain nutrients, not that the body needs, but that the body can use as a source of energy. Labeling food as good or bad heaps a lot of guilt on an individual trying to stay committed to a diet. This can be a huge stumbling block that can significantly discourage someone from staying true to a healthy eating regimen by causing an individual to look at the “bad” food item consumed as a failure in their attempt to eat healthy.

• There is no “perfect” diet.

Think about all the different diet structures that have been created so far. From the Paleo diet to the Atkins diet, every diet routine has one thing in common – they claim perfection. The truth is, there really is no perfect diet that is going to fit each individual. For one, everyone has a unique taste palate. So, a diet that suggests the consumption of certain vegetables and fruits while restricting others may not be favorable to eat for everyone. Instead of criticizing a diet for its claim to perfection, look for a diet structure that fits your taste buds. Second, everyone has different diet goals. I believe that most diet structures work but some people may look to lose weight, others maintain weight, and yet others look to increase energy or balance blood sugar. Whatever your goal, or intention, for healthy eating seek out the diet structure that meets your preference.

• Make healthy eating a lifelong goal instead of a short term endeavor.

There are so many reasons people choose to eat healthy. A friend’s wedding, fitting into a bikini, a trip with family, or simply seeing if you could reach your high-school weight again. All of these reasons are fantastic reasons to eat healthy. However, once that goal is reached, or occasion has passed, many individuals go back to their old eating habits and quickly find the pounds adding on. This is due to seeing and feeling the satisfaction of reaching a short-term goal. Without a long-term goal an individual can expect a fluctuation in weight. On the other hand, having a lifelong goal of healthy eating creates a mindset of not only losing weight but keeping it off. Not to mention the benefits of increased energy each day and the repair and maintenance of a body that will heal from, and fight off, disease.

Healthy eating is pursued by nearly everyone. Success depends upon your mindset even before you take your first bite. It’s amazing how much control you have when pursuing a goal such as healthy nutrition. By acquiring a fresh mindset on food, looking for the diet that fits you and making nutrition a lifelong goal you can conquer the quest of eating healthy.

#nutrition #healthyfood #Dieting