How to create healthy eating habits

The secret to health and a well nourished body, does not lie in fad diets, juice cleanses, intermittent fasting etc. It lies in eating a healthy, well balanced diet. Eating foods that contain a variety of nutrients that provide your body with the right components to fuel all its vital functions. This is more simple than it sound. By following a few, straight forward steps, it is easily achievable.

Cut down on processed foods

The issue nowadays is that we are consuming so much processed foods and eating out more and more. The problem with this is that we don’t necessarily know what is in the food we are consuming. By cooking at home, from scratch you will be eating more nourishing, healthier foods. You will also save money which is an added bonus. Everyone can cook, it’s a case of starting small and building on it. The safefood website has some easy recipes to get you started. Over the next few weeks we are going to be providing you with easy to make choices for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Watch what you drink

Considering the obesity epidemic in the United States is being blamed on sugary drinks and the government taxing fizzy drinks, this one is worth a mention. Water really is best for your body. Try and keep fizzy drinks and alcohol to a minimum.

Eat the rainbow

The food pyramid has had a bit of an overhaul over the last few years and it is recommended that we consume 7 serving of fruit and veg everyday. It can seem difficult trying to incorporate this into your day to day diet and you have to get creative with vegetables in order to keep things interesting. A simple way of eating more vegetables is to imagine your plate at every meal is divided into 4 segments. One segment should contain a healthy carbohydrate source, one should contain a lean protein source and the last 2 should contain vegetables. Your plate should look roughly like this.

Plan your meals

It sounds simple but by making a rough weekly plan and going to the supermarket with a list and knowing what you need you will eat healthier meals. You will also reduce waste, save money and save yourself the hassle of going to the supermarket after work when you’re tired and hungry and are more likely to make poor food choices. In the coming weeks we will have a blog on food preparation and planning. This will provide you with some tips and tricks to help you on your way

Eat when you’re hungry

It sounds simple but starving yourself is a recipe for disaster. Denying yourself things you enjoy will only make you want them more. Find ways of incorporating them into your diet in a healthy way. Fad diets don’t work. Aim to eat healthy food most of the time and then you’re on the right track.

The above are simple guidelines, tips for eating a well balanced diet. The best way to get started is to introduce each rule one at a time. Make a small change and try to stick to it until it becomes a habit and then move on to the next rule. That way it will become second nature. It shouldn’t be hard work. Unlike fad diets, this isn’t about punishment, in fact you should feel better. In the coming weeks we will be doing some posts on how to accomplish the above. The HSE website also has some good resources. All of this coupled with some regular exercise that challenges you will get you on your way towards a healthier, happier you. To set yourself a new challenge book your first reformer class here.