Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Eating Unhealthy? Dont know what to do about it?

How to Avoid the Temptation to Eat Unhealthy Foods

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Are you trying to avoid eating unhealthy foods but can't fight the cravings? Its just that some foods are just addictions, so breaking them are difficult. Here is a good starting place to put you on the yellow brick road to healthy eating This article may be able to help.

Steps

  1. Identify your cravings. A particular food craving might point to something lacking in your diet. Find your favorite cravings below in Bold, and then note the possible item(s) missing from your present diet.
    • Chocolate Magnesium Women should be cautious during menstruation, as magnesium levels do drop. Instead, try snacking on natural fruits, nuts, or take a vitamin/mineral supplement.
    • Sugar or Simple Carbohydrates Protein & Complex Carbohydrates. A quick science lesson: Carbohydrates break down into sugars. Since sugar metabolizes very quickly, it is not a good source of long term energy. The best source of energy includes protein and complex carbohydrates, which break down much slower. Good examples include brown or wild long-grain rice; and pasta or bread made from wholewheat flour. It is called "wholewheat" because it includes the "whole" kernel, of which the outer shell contains the germ, bran and nutrients of the grain. White rice (Minute Rice) and white flour have been stripped of this goodness, leaving only the inner starch (simple carbohydrates).
    • Fried foods Calcium & OMEGA 3 Fatty Acids OMEGA 3's are good fat! Try eating more fish, or check your grocery store for milk, cheese, or eggs containing theses essential oils plus calcium (it will state such on the label).
    • Salt Hydration, Vitamin B, Chloride When you desire something salty, try to drink water instead. Also, stress can lead to a Vitamin B deficiency, so if your experiencing hardship, take a second Vit B supplement half way through your day.
  2. Remove temptation. Just get rid of it, and remove all temptation from your home. To keep yourself from buying more, never go to the grocery store while hungry. When you have only healthy foods to eat, you'll make healthy choices. When you do get a craving, it'll be too much bother to hunt down a candy bar, when you have a healthy substitute at home.
  3. When you go to the store, force yourself to buy good foods. Avoid ice-cream, frozen dinners, white bread, sweets and snacks. If you do this, you will find it harder and harder to eat the wrong type of foods at home.
  4. Replace the rituals. You don't need dessert after dinner. You don't need candy at the movies. You don't need a donut with your coffee. To break such habits, provide a healthy alternative beforehand, such as a piece of fruit. You can take fruit into a theater with a little white lie, by explaining your diabetic and it's doctor recommended, should anyone ask. Keep an assortment of healthy choices around, such as a crisp vegetable salad you can garnish with lemon or vinegar or peppers, various fruit (remember citrus fruits can be very high in calories), apples, water melon, rice cakes, raisins, dates, and other healthy snacks.
  5. Avoid Boredom. Keep yourself active and busy, so you're not always thinking about just food. There is a lot more to do than eat.
  6. Drink plenty of water! The water intake recommended does NOT include the water you receive from food or coffee. If you feel thirsty, this means you are already dehydrated - and dehydration can often be confused with hunger. Keep a large jug of lemon favored water, chilled herbal tea, or Crystal Lite on hand if you don't like plain water. Another trick is to keep a drinking glass and jug of water always in sight. If it's in front of you, you'll drink it.
  7. Most people need to lower cholesterol levels to either remain or become healthy. In addition to how food affects cholesterol, we also need to understand how one's weight, exercise, and genetics all factor into our overall health.
  8. Reward Yourself! Permit yourself a treat from time to time, as you establish new habits. Just be sure a treat is exactly that, just a small taste! One or two cookies, not an entire bag. If you lack the will power in the beginning, purchase a small prepackaged goodie, so that is all there is. A "cheat-day" is a day in which you are permitted to have such a treat. It does not mean you can cheat all day long!

Video

Tips

  • Eat your meals slowly, with other people, and at a table made to hold a plate and have chairs around it.
  • There are many other things you can do instead of snacking. A short list includes: read the paper, watch a ball game, draw a picture, cut the lawn, plant some flowers, drink a cup of tea, call a friend, take a walk, groom your dog, watch a sitcom, learn a foreign language, do a dance routine, read a book, or research something. So get up off your lazy rear!
  • "Nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels"
  • Start slowly. It is easier to stick to a new routine if you gradually work up to it.
  • Eating healthy is a lifestyle, not a quick fix to a problem
  • Try these healthy alternatives to unhealthy snacks: a handful of toasted/salted almonds, granola bar (try Kashi!), GoRaw gluten free snacks, rice cakes/soy chips, clementines,cereal.

Warnings

  • Eating disorders affect 15% of young woman and men. This number is on the increase. They are very harmful. The most common are Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. Anorexia Nervosa is when you do not allow yourself to eat or when you induce vomiting, take laxatives or exercise excessively in order to lose weight, causing the body to starve. Bulimia is characterized by binge-purge behavior- you consume large amounts of food seemingly uncontrollably, but force yourself to vomit or take laxatives, exercise or fast (purge) in order not to gain weight from binges. Both can kill you, so always consume food sensibly. If you really want to stay healthy, the best thing to do is eat good food with nutritional value. If you suspect you have an eating disorder, seek professional help immediately.
  • "In Moderation" does not work for everyone. Some foods trigger people, and just like an alcoholic cannot have just one glass of wine, a sugarholic cannot have just one piece of candy. It is better to eliminate the foods you binge on or find a good substitute for them. That way you can eat normal portions of healthy food, instead of craving and eating bad junk.

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Sources and Citations

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