Eating junk food can be very tempting, especially when there is no time or willingness to cook. Unfortunately, not many people are aware of how damaging fast-foods can be. When we get used to living a certain way, changing our habits and customs might be difficult. But if we try hard enough, we succeed changing patterns, and in this context, we live a longer and happier life! Eating healthy is the basis of our health and well-being.
Leaving out sugars, fats, and sodium is strenuous. You must be persistent in your choices and uninfluenced by sudden cravings. If that is challenging, think about why you put the effort in the first place. Is it because you’d like to improve your looks? Is it because you’d like to improve your health? Maybe both?
Eating junk food can make us less active, less predisposed to exercised, less attentive in school – essay writing or vocabulary building becomes difficult; school becomes painful; works becomes tiring. Everything seems to go wrong.
The most important thing to highlight is that eating healthy does not mean abstaining from eating. Even if you are not satisfied with your body shape or health status, going hungry will only make things worse. Instead of abstaining, you could switch to a plant-based diet and enjoy living life at a superior level! Here are some tips on how to overcome your habits and start eating healthy.
1. Find the Reasons
First and foremost, you must find reasons to eat healthier – because when there are no motives to take action, the results might be compromised. Here are some questions you might want to ask yourself:
- What is the best quality you have?
- Were there any moments in your life when you felt overweight?
- Have you ever felt discouraged when wanting to change your lifestyle?
- What made you give up?
- Do you think you could use your best quality to change the way you felt and truly make a change this time?
When you are done asking yourself questions, be confident that your answers truly match your desires. That’s when you’ll be ready to bring a change into your life. Finding the reasons why is the first step towards advancement.
2. Think About the Environment
Eating healthier means eating less meat (if none!), less dairy, and no processed food. A plant-based diet can be the right fit for anybody, because it’s based solely on plants and it does not harm the environment. Think about the food industry. Research shows that the amount of beef average American eats in a year creates as much gas as driving a car for 2,000 miles! Now, ask yourself: don’t you want to make a positive change for you, your health, and the environment?
3. Think About the Money
Meat, fast-foods and other junk foods are really expensive. They seem cheap at first sight (spending $3 on a McDonald’s hamburger does not seem that bad), but they add up. Soon, you’ll find yourself unable to save money for things that really matter because all your money goes into one place: unhealthy fast-foods. Eating plant-based foods is way cheaper!
All you must do is:
- Make a grocery list before driving to Walmart/Publix/etc.
- Stick to the vegetable aisle
- Avoid looking towards the meats and junk foods
- Buy fruits, honey, and oatmeal instead to meet your “sweet” cravings!
4. Stop Buying Junk Food
If you keep buying junk food, there is no way you’ll stop eating it. As I’ve mentioned earlier, make a grocery list before driving to the supermarket, and stick to it. Do not add too many new items in your basket. That might open other possibilities, and we do not want that.
- Buy healthy snacks like dry fruit, granola bars, or hummus and carrots
- Buy many vegetables! Some ideas: broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, squash
- Replace milk, eggs, and cheese with Almond milk, vegan cheese, and avoid eggs
- Make sure you shop with a full stomach – otherwise it’s hard avoiding the junk foods!
- If you feel like visiting the junk food aisle, simply don’t allow yourself to do it.
5. Buy Good Food and Cook
After you’ve bought the good food, enjoy cooking for a while! Don’t make it an obligation though. Play some classical/hip-hop/pop music, turn on the stove, and relax. Release the tension accumulated throughout the day, and be happy for your new, healthy choices. You’ve made considerable progress! It’s time to relax now, and try new recipes.
Unfortunately, for some people, cooking cannot be associated with destressing under any circumstances. If you feel like that, ask a friend to join you, have some wine and pretzels, and enjoy great conversations while cooking with your best friend/partner.
6. Drink Water
It’s as easy as it’s sounds: drink a lot of water! Water keeps your hydrated and balances the sugars in your blood. When you don’t drink enough water, you crave sweets all the time because you don’t have that balance properly stabilized within your body. Make sure you keep hydrated.
P.S. – Stay hydrated by drinking water, not juice, soda, or other similar drinks! You could also make yourself some tea and add no sugar in it.
7. Distractions Can Make a Difference
When cravings hit, distract yourself – it truly makes a difference! So, what’s next:
Step #1: Analyze your behavior and ask questions.
- Am I really hungry?
- Why am I craving those sweets?
- Is it because I feel uncomfortable in any way?
- Do I want to change something in myself?
- Do I eat junk because of my personal struggles?
- Should I analyze myself even better?
Step #2: Answer the previous questions and start your journey from there.
Step #3: Replace cravings with:
- Petting your dog
- Going to the gym
- Working out at home
- Writing
- Painting
- Jogging
- Eating healthy snacks
Conclusion
Eating healthy does require a lot of strength and perseverance. It makes you develop really good habits and make healthy life choices. Your well-being comes from what you consume in the first place. If you fix that, the rest will follow. You’ll be more determined to work out, meditate, breathe, and be alive!
Author Bio:
Jack White is a very good writer and is quickly becoming a prolific article writer. With many years of experience working in Essays.Scholar Advisor under his belt, many people are eager to see where his career takes his. Jack White says he is proud in the work he has done and is eager to continue helping people share their thoughts and life experiences. You can follow him on Twitter.