Create Healthy Eating Habits
Here at Shields Chiropractic, we care about more than your back pain. We care about your overall health, and part of that includes your eating habits.
From your very first taste of chocolate, candies, or cakes, your brain is turned on to the wonder of sugar. Sugar can lead you and your brain to an obsession with eating as many sweets as possible. From soda to ice cream, the instant gratification that comes from sugar is something your brain starts to expect. Over time, you will need more of it to experience the same euphoric effect. Before you know it, you will be seeking out that original feeling of joy sugar brought you, and your sugar consumption will become habit.
Just as sugar is addictive, so are other foods like sodium and fat. These foods lead to laziness due to a lack of energy, weight gain, and emotional instability.
Millions of people struggle with unhealthy eating habits, and they aren't easy to escape. Today's society constantly puts unhealthy food choices at the forefront, making it more challenging to develop the healthy eating habits your body needs. The faster the pace of our lives, the easier it is to fall into convenient (and often bad) habits. For the most part, we know what we should eat, but how do we actually form those health habits?
Be Conscious of Your Food Choices
Most of us want to eat healthier meals, but we aren't actually aware of what we're currently eating, making it tricky to change our eating habits. A simple way to track what you're consuming is to log it in a food tracking app. Everything you eat (including snacks and coffee runs) should be logged. Your notes will be detailed, and you will have a better awareness of what you are consuming.
Once you are aware of what you're eating, take the time to determine which foods are not providing you with nutritional value. Figure out what you need to change about your diet and why. Then you will be able to find replacements for those unhealthy items. You can switch from potato chips to protein bars, which will help you maintain a similar eating schedule without consuming empty calories.
Lastly, meal preparation is a great tool to use. If you plan your meals for the week, even the ones you eat at restaurants, you have a better chance of sticking with your new eating plan. That will help you break your old unhealthy habits and create new, healthy ones.
Mind Over Matter
Your mind has a huge effect in forming healthy eating habits. One effective technique we suggest is visualization, a trick even used by elite athletes. Visualization is the practice of focusing on your goals in your mind. It requires you to repeatedly visualize every little detail of what you want to achieve. If your goal is to have more energy and a strong body, then visualize yourself that way. Watch yourself move and imagine what it would feel like to live every day with such a strong sense of vitality. Visualization is an excellent motivator and can help you to choose healthy foods as long as you are in pursuit of that goal.
This is just a starting point on your journey towards optimal health. For more tips, tricks, and guidance, contact us and schedule a consultation today.