Since my first post on this topic was so well-received, I decided to share some more tips for eating healthy - woot!
To reiterate, I don’t generally believe in “cheat days” or restrictive diets - unless instructed by a doctor. I believe in finding a balance between mindfully eating a wholesome diet and knowing when treating oneself to a bacon cheeseburger or creamy pasta is a-okay, regardless of what day of the week it is. So without any further ado…
1. Avoid fad diets: You will undoubtedly lose weight if all you eat is kale and cottage cheese (or whatever other arbitrary combination of foods) for ten days. But are you going to feel energized and satisfied? No. Are you going to be grumpy and hate yourself? Yes. Is the weight going to stay off when you go back to your regular diet? Absolutely not. Instead of being miserable, develop a healthy lifestyle that you can maintain throughout your life - not just for ten days.
2. Beware corporate labels: Sure, that “healthy” 100-calorie soup may be labelled as such on the front, but if you turn the can over and read the nutrition facts, often you’ll find it contains 500mg of sodium as well as a host of strange chemicals you can’t even pronounce. Still think it’s healthy? Giant food corporations couldn’t care less about how healthy their products are or how many calories their consumers consume. They care about selling more cans of soup, and if they have to tell you it’s healthy, so be it. A good general rule of thumb when comparing two products is to choose the one with a shorter list of ingredients.
3. Stop counting calories: “I had two bowls of Special K, 3 pieces of turkey bacon, a handful of popcorn, 5 peanut butter M&M’s and like 3 pieces of licorice.” (If you know what brilliant movie this quote is from, we’d probably be really good friends.) A wholesome diet has little to do with the number of calories you eat and a lot more to do with where those calories come from. When you’re eating nutritious foods (vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes), it’s okay to eat large quantities because they’re generally low-calorie foods and because they contains so many amazing vitamins and minerals. Instead of counting calories, learn the difference between what you should (aforementioned nutritious foods) and shouldn’t be eating.
4. Don’t skip meals: When your body goes without fuel for a prolonged period of time, it switches into panic mode because it doesn’t know how much longer it’ll be before you feed it again. Not only are you left to deal with a stomachache and grumbling noises as a result, but your brain will find it hard to focus, too. When you do finally eat, your body will stow away the new energy instead of using it because it knows it may be a long time before you refuel again. Your metabolism will eventually slow down if you skip enough meals. I’m not a nutritionist so I’m using layman’s terms, but what I’m trying to communicate is that it’s very, very important to eat regularly and often.
5. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate: Often when we feel hungry, we are actually just thirsty. If you just had a meal one or two hours ago and already feel hungry, all you may need is some hydration. Before having another meal or snack, try drinking a glass of water. If you feel like, “Oh my god, this is the best water ever!”, you were probably just thirsty and won’t need to eat again for a while.
6. Follow the 20-minute rule: It takes your brain 15-20 minutes to process that you’ve just eaten. If you finished a meal in less than that and still feel hungry, wait a few minutes until reaching for another helping. Chances are, you won’t want to eat anymore. The same goes for spontaneous cravings - you know, the ones you have at work when you just have to make a trip to the vending machine for a Coke or a Snickers? Instead of going for it right away, wait 15-20 minutes and your brain will most likely move on to other concerns.
7. Eat from smaller plates: The truth is, our bodies don’t need as much food to function and feel satisfied as we think they do. A great way to start eating smaller portions is to use smaller plates, simply because smaller plates require less food to make them look full but your brain will still process that you’ve just eaten a whole plate of food. See? Easy-peasy.
What tips would you include on this list?
I think variety is also important, which is partially related to point #1. I’m trying to do vegan during the work week, and I have to plan ahead so that I don’t die of boredom from eating some variety of oatmeal and kale salad everyday.
Good stuff! Another thing to consider is how much meat you eat. Generally Americans eat way more meat than what we really need. Something to consider for your third post on this topic?
-D&E
That tip was actually included in my first post of this series
Thanks for sharing!
Yes you are correct, we were just testing you!
Hahaha!