Effective path to healthy eating
WHEN it comes to nutrition, moderation simply isn’t sexy. What grabs our attention and our clicks are headlines like “The poison lurking in your kitchen”, as if we’re one bite away from death, and “Why you must eat this exotic superfood”, as if we’re one bite away from a miracle.
Unfortunately, these alluring but false promises distract us from a more moderate, and ultimately more successful, path to better health. A balanced eating plan that offers both nutrition and pleasure can help you be your best while actually allowing you to enjoy your food – no extremism required. What’s sexier – or saner – than that?
Having no idea what you’re really eating:
Unless you are mindful and aware of what and how much you are eating – and many people aren’t – it’s easy to think you’re eating moderately when you’re not. Keeping a food journal for a few weeks to gain an objective look at your eating patterns can be illuminating.
Not planning for the long journey:
Cultivating healthy lifestyle habits like good nutrition and regular physical activity takes consistent effort, especially if you have some deeply entrenched, less-than-healthy habits. It’s frustrating when you feel as if you’re putting in the effort but not seeing immediate pay-off. Start thinking of nutrition and health as a lifelong journey.
All-or-nothing thinking:
Feeling that anything short of perfection represents failure and isn’t worth doing can also block progress, while you drive yourself nuts in the pursuit of the perfect diet. Perfection is the enemy of progress. Start small, start today and keep moving forward.
Being swayed by diet trends:
Moderate eaters eat in a way that suits their lifestyle and supports health, and don’t jump on each dietary bandwagon that passes by. They pay attention to nutrition news, but are fairly immune to sensational claims. They know that no particular way of eating is right for all people all the time.
Having an unhealthy relationship with food:
Eating healthily is about more than the food you put on your fork. When food goes hand in hand with stress or guilt or fear, it’s not good for your body or your mind. –Washington Post