Adopting Healthy Eating Habits
By Karen Kleinwort
On June 28, 2011
Eating healthy is critical whether your goal is weight loss, fitness or a healthier lifestyle in general. However, you don’t have to meticulously count calories or starve yourself to be healthy; rather, you need to provide your body with ample nourishment. While junk food and sugary treats might present challenges and temptations, adopting correct eating ideas and strategies will help make healthy eating a natural habit.
Below is an overview of basic tips and suggestions to help you stay fit and eat healthy.
*Learn to Love Your Veggies* Include as many vegetables in your diet as you possibly can. In addition to vegetables being packed with more nutrients and fewer fats and calories than meat-based dishes, vegetarian foods also offer a lot of variety and can be a real treat for the taste buds.
*Get Creative with Fruits* Fruits have natural sugar and can quell a sweet tooth. But if the sucrose from the fruit alone is not enough, add a little honey to sweeten it further. The sweetness from these choices is healthier than refined sugars, and the natural sugars in fruit and honey have far fewer calories.
*Eat the Rainbow* If you’re concerned about whether or not you’re eating enough from each of the food groups, try seeing each meal as a rainbow. What colors are missing? What colors are present? Are you eating many colors, or do you tend to focus on just one? If your plate usually looks like a multi-colored painting, then you’re likely consuming the minerals, vitamins and nutrients your body needs.
*Drink Water or Fresh Juice with Crushed Ice Instead of Fizzy Beverages* Although this may sound too easy to be worthwhile, it does have legitimate merit. Crushed ice gives water a slightly fizzy texture that can meet your need for carbonation. If you drink a lot of sodas because of their sweetness, add fresh juices to your water and crushed ice.
*Employ Positive Affirmations* If you have a problem with willpower and find it difficult to stick with your plan to eat healthy, consider reciting positive affirmations every day to help make eating healthy a natural instinct. Although this may sound too simple to be realistically effective, the truth is that the simplicity of the act is where the power lies. Perhaps the example that follows will illuminate this concept for you.
If someone tells you day in and day out that you are unattractive, over time you will begin to believe that assessment. Similarly, if you tell yourself that you’re ugly over and over again, you will begin to feel ugly regardless of how physically appealing you may actually be. Positive affirmations function the same way, in that telling yourself over and over that you enjoy being a healthy eater will cause you to embrace and believe this statement over time.
You can create positive affirmations yourself or practice those listed below:
~I feel great when I eat in moderation.
~I eat for health.
~I am proud of myself.
~I feel calm and peaceful when I eat.
~I enjoy drinking water.
~I eat when I am hungry.
~I enjoy eating healthy.
~I love and respect myself for eating healthy.
Regularly practicing these affirmations can assist you in adopting healthy eating habits over time.
A Matter of Perspective
We’ve said it before, and it still holds true: putting positive self-talk and affirmations into practice can benefit you tremendously. When you sit at the dining room table to eat, take note of where you are emotionally. If you’re experiencing a neutral emotion, then get rid of it before you dig in. Raise your emotional level to one of gratitude, which will also allow you to increase the energy of the food you consume. The higher this energy and the more positive your perspective is while you eat, the more positively your body will respond to the nourishment you’re providing it.
Good health is all about understanding two concepts: balance and moderation. If you eat balanced meals in moderate quantities – and add in moderate exercise to your daily routine – you’ll discover the key to good health.
Until next time, embrace your inner wisdom.
Namaste,
Karen
Below is an overview of basic tips and suggestions to help you stay fit and eat healthy.
*Learn to Love Your Veggies* Include as many vegetables in your diet as you possibly can. In addition to vegetables being packed with more nutrients and fewer fats and calories than meat-based dishes, vegetarian foods also offer a lot of variety and can be a real treat for the taste buds.
*Get Creative with Fruits* Fruits have natural sugar and can quell a sweet tooth. But if the sucrose from the fruit alone is not enough, add a little honey to sweeten it further. The sweetness from these choices is healthier than refined sugars, and the natural sugars in fruit and honey have far fewer calories.
*Eat the Rainbow* If you’re concerned about whether or not you’re eating enough from each of the food groups, try seeing each meal as a rainbow. What colors are missing? What colors are present? Are you eating many colors, or do you tend to focus on just one? If your plate usually looks like a multi-colored painting, then you’re likely consuming the minerals, vitamins and nutrients your body needs.
*Drink Water or Fresh Juice with Crushed Ice Instead of Fizzy Beverages* Although this may sound too easy to be worthwhile, it does have legitimate merit. Crushed ice gives water a slightly fizzy texture that can meet your need for carbonation. If you drink a lot of sodas because of their sweetness, add fresh juices to your water and crushed ice.
*Employ Positive Affirmations* If you have a problem with willpower and find it difficult to stick with your plan to eat healthy, consider reciting positive affirmations every day to help make eating healthy a natural instinct. Although this may sound too simple to be realistically effective, the truth is that the simplicity of the act is where the power lies. Perhaps the example that follows will illuminate this concept for you.
If someone tells you day in and day out that you are unattractive, over time you will begin to believe that assessment. Similarly, if you tell yourself that you’re ugly over and over again, you will begin to feel ugly regardless of how physically appealing you may actually be. Positive affirmations function the same way, in that telling yourself over and over that you enjoy being a healthy eater will cause you to embrace and believe this statement over time.
You can create positive affirmations yourself or practice those listed below:
~I feel great when I eat in moderation.
~I eat for health.
~I am proud of myself.
~I feel calm and peaceful when I eat.
~I enjoy drinking water.
~I eat when I am hungry.
~I enjoy eating healthy.
~I love and respect myself for eating healthy.
Regularly practicing these affirmations can assist you in adopting healthy eating habits over time.
A Matter of Perspective
We’ve said it before, and it still holds true: putting positive self-talk and affirmations into practice can benefit you tremendously. When you sit at the dining room table to eat, take note of where you are emotionally. If you’re experiencing a neutral emotion, then get rid of it before you dig in. Raise your emotional level to one of gratitude, which will also allow you to increase the energy of the food you consume. The higher this energy and the more positive your perspective is while you eat, the more positively your body will respond to the nourishment you’re providing it.
Good health is all about understanding two concepts: balance and moderation. If you eat balanced meals in moderate quantities – and add in moderate exercise to your daily routine – you’ll discover the key to good health.
Until next time, embrace your inner wisdom.
Namaste,
Karen
Author's Bio:
Karen Kleinwort is a certified professional coach who specializes in life, business and health coaching. Kleinwort also holds a BS in Business Management and an AA in Holistic Health & Fitness Promotion; additionally, she is a Reiki Master and CranioSacral Practitioner. Kleinwort is available for interviews and appearances. You can contact her at karen@therapyintransition.org or (877) 255-0761.
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