Who doesn’t want to live a healthy life? I guess everyone. But how difficult you find doing workouts and strict diets. No one wants to give up the delicious food in our lives. I am no exception. I really like eating food of happiness; Like Fried chicken, the ultimate chocolate cake.
My comfort drink is a fully loaded chocolate milkshake. Sorry, I forgot to mention the ice cream. Do not want to give spoilers, but this is not a weight loss success story. It is not even about the importance of healthy eating.
It is a well-known fact that improving eating habits and switching more to nutritious foods can lead you to a healthy lifestyle. Which eventually helps in overall well-being, both physical and mental.
I am trying to emphasize here on taming your mind to avoid bad eating habits. You can develop counter habits that could help you in timely and healthy eating.
Why give up the food we cherish in life? I genuinely understand that for so many people having their favorite food really matters. We eat to celebrate our success, receive treats, and even in sorrow, we’d like to have something that comforts us.
Diets like intermittent fasting, low carb ketosis, and sugar- and starch-free diets are challenging to follow. Cutting down sugar, carbs, processed food, and bad fats is something everyone knows.
You can indeed cut down foods low in sugar and bad fats and could see drastic changes in your health. Core components of a healthy lifestyle could be intermittent fasting, physical activities (at least three times per week), counting your calories, and avoiding junk.
We know what and what not to eat. Still, there are exceptions like birthdays, weddings, and the successful celebrations of your loved ones. Corporate lunch and dinners can’t be avoided.
The roots of mindful eating
So, what to do to be healthy, social, and a happy foodie at the same time?
The food we eat is not only crucial for taste but all of our five senses. The smell, touch, and sound of preparing or eating the meal is something you cannot miss.
I used to eat diet food, and there were days when I just quit due to a monotonous routine and menu. Now I eat almost everything but barely gain weight. Telling your mind to strictly adhere to some sort of diet is complex. To be honest, we cannot do it for a very long time.
Eventually, we again go back to our bad eating habits, and this time we do it in the extreme. The reason is we used to give up the food we like, and the mind remembers every time you do not let it do what it wants.
When you start eating unhealthy food again, the body asks for more than its capacity. The mind entirely agrees with it. That is my whole point, conditioning the most powerful organ of your body, your mind.
Taming it to the level where you eat everything you like and it is not forced. It seems that you usually are eating and do not restrict yourself to a limited menu diet. It is called “Mindful Eating”.
Let us discuss some surprisingly natural ways that could have a positive impact on your health overall. Regardless of age, gender, and working options, you can apply these unique ways to boost your health.
Let’s jump right in:
What is Mindful Eating?
Mindful eating assists you with eating better with insignificant exertion. It depends on the idea of mindfulness and assists you with focusing on the quality and quantity of meals you are eating, the reasons, and the repetition of eating a day.
The aim is to appreciate the experience of eating and the food. Empower the entire presentation for the eating experience. In addition, many studies show that mindful eating can help you lose extra pounds and maintain your BMI. (46 Trusted Source, 47 Trusted Source).
Completely cutting down on dining out is not possible for many of us. Again we go with friends and family to have fun. The most significant part of that enjoyment is to have excellent cuisine. If we talk about significantly junk food.
Minimum to no consumption may help a lot because once you make up your mind to dine out, you cannot control the selection of the meal course. The menu in restaurants is primarily listed with foods that contain high starch, carbs, sugar, and fats.
So it is better to limit the times you go out to grab your meals. Moreover, the word “dieting” is negatively associated with cutting down your favorite foods, so why not replace it with a more intelligent way of healthy eating that takes less effort.
An effective way of reducing the number of calories is by increasing the number of meals you eat per day, week, and month. You can eat up to 5 meals a day, and it is pretty normal. Snacking and munching after every 4 to 5 hours in a day will assure your mind that you are not sacrificing any more.
What to Eat?
It is the most important aspect of mindful eating. You can eat everything you like. That is the trick. Make a list of your favorite foods. Not on paper, just in mind and divide it into three categories; unhealthy, moderately healthy, and healthy foods.
Now you need to divide your unhealthy foods once a day. If you like cheese in most of your meals, you can have it once a day, and the other meals could be picked from the two different categories.
This eating design is exclusive and unique. Because everybody has different choices and cravings in life. Now suppose that it is a day in a week where you have to attend a friend reunion, and you know you cannot say no.
While planning and getting ready for the dine-out, try to have your meal at home and then go out. It will keep you from eating more. You can make cycles between eating times and not eating times as well.
How Can You Do it?
When you are making your daily schedule. You may find it challenging to find out what to eat because the list of unhealthy food is always long. Instead of thinking about what you cannot eat, try to focus on the options you have as healthy alternatives.
Try making a list of food that you can eat longer than the one you cannot have. The idea is to make yourself comfortable with healthy eating options. You can add different salads and protein-rich dishes to your list.
You can increase the list of grilled and barbeque items. Including various kinds of stakes from your favorite place is also a good idea.
Try to cook for yourself. If you are preparing daily meals at home, try to eat freshly made. It will have a good impact on your mind that you are treating yourself especially. You are giving importance to your health. If you do not have time. You can prepare weekly meals and freeze them to have them later.
Mental Stimulation
The next more significant thing is to condition your mind to be more active. If you get busy with some exciting activities that you like to do. Your body will be less likely to ask for unnecessary food intake. It is called mental stimulation.
You can go for the following:
- Go for long walks.
- Be social physically rather than digitally.
- Play some mind-stretching indoor games.
- Join a short-term course.
- Use your head rather than Google or calculator.
Find a Hobby
Having a hobby that you love can have immeasurable positive effects on your mental and physical health. The time will pass real quick, and you will be more focused on the hobby you cherish instead of searching for snacks out of boredom.
- Modify your hobby to avoid flatness.
- Think about what you used to enjoy as a kid.
- Do not be afraid of trying out entirely new things.
- Think of anything you might find interesting and start doing it. See how long it lasts to check whether it is your real hobby or not.
Medical Check-Ups
Annual and bi-annual medical checkups with your family medicine doctor are actually a complete head-to-toe physical assessment. A medical exam comprises an ocular, aural and oral examination, body condition score, abdominal palpation, heart and lung auscultation, and overall body palpation.
It is the most essential part, in my opinion. When you get your scheduled checkups done. The sugar level, uric acid levels, gut condition, blood pressure, and heart rate get examined, and you get a compiled report of your health conditions.
It will help you in mediating the list of your compulsory foods and the ones you should avoid. Your medical condition is a great motivator to switch on healthy food and lifestyle. It is just that you know how your body is doing nowadays.
Let’s Summarize
There is no limit to the simple ways to boost your health and improve your lifestyle. It can be a simple walk to a friend’s house or preparing weekly meals at home. It’s the unnoticeable and minor changes that extend some extraordinary health benefits.
Adding these tips and tricks to your daily routine may transform your overall personality and health. By building mindful eating habits, you will get the advantages of delightful wellness and fitness. At the same time, you can enjoy the company of your favorite people with your favorite food.
What about you? Do you have some other tips for me? Share with us in the comments below.
