What's in the fridge?

As a result of the Covid-19 panic, lockdown, and general stress of the world at the moment, a lot of us have fallen into some pretty bad habits where our diet is concerned. 

I know right now the world seems like its on fire, and exerting some kind of control over my life, in any aspect makes me feel a little better. 

This is the time to become new. With destruction, there is always rebuilding. And, this is our opportunity to rebuild ourselves, first, then our communities and societies. 

Let’s take the responsibility to be the most expressed version of ourselves…starting with radiating health.  

Being able to choose the things I put in my body for self-care, clarity and more energy is a great way to start feeling a little better about myself and hopeful for a better future. 

It is also the best way to help friends and family stay strong. Being a positive example and reaching for better health does more than affect you. 

Especially at this time when we need positivity circulating the web (and real life), more than negativity, your example can make a big difference in someone’s life. 

1. Staying hydrated

Do you find yourself getting hungry at seemingly random points throughout the day? Does it happen even after you eat? Believe it or not, the sensation of thirst and hunger can be very easy to confuse. Make sure you hydrate enough with apps like the Daily Water Tracker, and if you do feel a twinge of hunger, drink a glass of water first. It can really help you resist those unhealthy cravings.

2. Eating mindfully

Paying attention to how you eat can help you eat more healthily, too. Mindful eating is a habit that, once learned, helps you better understand your cravings as well as the way that you actually consume food. For instance, it can help you learn how to chew better, eat more slowly, and intentionally eat every bite at a managed pace. It might sound a little weird, but eating more slowly has been proven to help you better satiate your appetite. If you eat fast, you’re likely to eat a lot.

3. Fasting responsibly

There’s a lot of confusion out there about fasting and how it’s to be done. If you’re trying to go whole days without food or with only some kind of cleanse, you aren’t going to give your body the nutrition it needs to keep running healthily. KB Wellness outlines a healthier fasting plan. By fasting at certain parts of the day and eating at others, your body gets used to being more economical with its energy use and metabolizes the food that you eat much more effectively.

4. Holding yourself accountable

How well do you know what you eat? Do you forget your little snacks during the day, giving you a skewed perception of how healthy your diet is? There’s a good chance that you do, like many of us. As such, nutrition tracking apps like See How You Eat can help you note down everything you eat and its value so that, when you look back, you have a better idea of what habits you have yet to kick.

5. Sticking to a routine

If you are a little indecisive about when you eat, cooking up a meal only when you start to feel hungry, then your metabolism can be knocked off-kilter. By trying to stick to an eating schedule a little more rigidly, your body knows when to expect food, meaning you mostly get hungry when it’s mealtime, which can be an effective way to stop a grazing habit. Start with a healthy breakfast at the same time every day.

In Summary

As you dedicate time to instilling more of these good habits, remind yourself of your why. 

Why are you really doing this? Is it to prove something to someone, or is it to become the best version of yourself as a way of positive self-transformation?

Knowing your why will keep you going when things get tough. If you get off track, it will help you re-align. 

As you develop and reinforce more of these good habits, you will find that you will naturally push out the bad habits. 

Part of the success of adapting good habits is just not making time for the bad ones. I like the approach of “focusing on the good” rather than trying to “get rid of the bad”. 

The health and wellness world does a good job of telling us all the things we’re doing wrong, and less time telling us the things we’re already doing well, and to be more gentle on ourselves. 

While these 5 healthy eating habits are important and can help you get back on track, it starts with being gentle and kind to yourself. Learn to love yourself first- just as you are, and positive changes will come to you naturally. 

Expect good to come to you and it will. Don’t fight against something, but adapt new habits if it feels right to you. 

Always use your emotions as a measure of your success. How do you feel about it? If it doesn’t excite and bring to joy to you, try something else. 

In the end the means in which we get there may change, but our why will probably not. 

Know your why and relax knowing you are doing the best you can, learning a little bit here and there along the way. 

Your positive mental attitude is the igniter and the most important source of change for anything positive in your life. 

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