2021 is just days away and many of you may have decisions to change your habits. Changing some bad eating habits can be among them. However, changing eating habits can be difficult. After all, they are what we have conditioned our bodies to do and expect.
Changing these habits requires an initial period of discomfort and continued awareness to develop new practice. However, with your health at stake, implementing the strategies to slowly develop new habits may well be the difference between a life of good health or illness.
First, it is important to assess why you want to change and how committed you are. Essentially, success is unlikely if you are not truly committed to changing your lifestyle.
It’s a good rule of thumb to try to change one habit at a time, as research shows that if you try one habit, your success rate is roughly 80%. However, once a second, third, or several changes are implemented to happen immediately, the success rate drops to less than 20%. So while it will take longer to implement changes, you are more likely to succeed if you take it slowly. Also, most studies suggest that it takes 21 days to change practice, so focus on staying committed and mindful for at least 3 weeks for the changes to be effective and long lasting.
Choosing the worst habit that affects your health or hinders your results can be a great place to start. Examples might include drinking soft drinks every day, always having desserts, drinking too much alcohol, or buying too much fast food. The key is to focus on one practice and find alternative options or strategies to avoid it.
Some strategies you can implement to change bad eating habits for the new year include:
1. Clear your fridge and cupboards by removing and throwing away unhealthy snacks. It is generally considered that if you have food in your house, there is a very good chance that it will be eaten at some point. Therefore, for complete success, it is ideal to remove these from your home. If this is not an option, move them out of sight or to an inconvenient location where it takes more effort to get them. This gives you an opportunity to evaluate if you really want this item.
2. Be careful and enjoy food. When you’re eating, sit down, turn off any distractions, pay close attention to what you’re eating and enjoy each mouthful, taking time to digest it.
3. Try using smaller plates. This is a great technique to trick your mind into thinking that you have that nice full plate that you are familiar with. You can win the battle psychologically. Undoubtedly, everyone may have heard that it can take up to 20 minutes for your brain to register that you are satisfied, by this time, however, it is possible to overeat. So, stop when you are 80% full, by the time your brain registers that you are satisfied, you will be satisfied and you will not be over thinking.
4. Eat healthy fats daily. Fat is an essential nutrient required by the body. It’s important to eat fat daily, but the healthy type. Examples of this are olive oil, coconut oil, nut oils because these can help with the healthy daily functions of the body.
5. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Water is so vital to health that not drinking enough can have a detrimental effect. The recommended general intake for adults is 8 glasses a day, but more is needed if exercise or in hot conditions. Drinking water can also make you feel full and less likely to overeat. Sometimes when we feel hungry, it is the body that lets us know that it needs hydration.
Happy New Year folks and cheers to healthier habits.