2021 is just days away and many of you may have resolutions to change your habits. Changing some bad eating habits may be among them. However, eating habits can be difficult to change. After all, they are what we have conditioned our bodies to do and expect.
Changing these habits requires an initial period of discomfort and continual consciousness to develop a new habit. With your health at stake, though, implementing strategies to slowly develop new habits may well be the difference between a life of good health or illness.
Initially, it is important to assess why you want to change and how dedicated you are. In essence, it is unlikely that success will occur if you aren’t truly dedicated to changing your lifestyle.
It is a good rule of thumb to only attempt to change one habit at a time, as research indicates that if you attempt one habit, your success rate is roughly around 80%. However once a second, third or a number of changes are implemented to take place at once, the success rate drops to under 20%. Therefore, even though it will take longer to implement changes, you are more likely to succeed if you take it slowly. Also, most studies suggest it takes 21 days to change a habit, so focus on staying committed and mindful for at least 3 weeks for the changes to be effective and long-lasting.
Picking the worst habit that is affecting your health or hindering your results can be a great place to start. Examples may be drinking soft drinks daily, always having desserts, consuming excess alcohol, or buying too much fast food. The key is to focus on one habit and find alternative options or strategies to avoid it.
Some strategies you can implement to change bad eating habits for the new year can include:
1. Clear out your fridge and cupboards by removing and discarding unhealthy snacks. It is generally considered that if you have food in your house, there is a very good chance it will be eaten at some point. Therefore, for complete success, it is ideal to remove these from your household. If this is not an option move them out of sight or to an inconvenient location where it takes more effort to get them. This gives you an opportunity to evaluate if you really want this item.
2. Be mindful and enjoy food. When you are eating, sit down, turn off any distractions, put your full attention into what you are eating and enjoy every mouthful, taking time to digest it.
3. Try using smaller plates. This is a great technique to trick your mind into thinking you have that nice full plate you are accustomed to. You can win the battle psychologically. No doubt everyone may have heard it can take up to 20 minutes for your brain to register that you are satisfied, by this time, however, it is possible to overeat. Therefore, stop when you are 80% full, by the time your brain registers you are content, you will be satisfied and not have overconsumed.
4. Eat healthy fats daily. Fat is an essential nutrient that is required by the body. It is important to consume fat daily, but the healthy sort. Examples of this are olive oil, coconut oil, nut oils as these can assist with healthy daily functions of the body.
5. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Water is so vital to health that not drinking enough can have a detrimental impact. The general recommended intake for adults is 8 glasses per day, but more is necessary if exercising or in hot conditions. Drinking water can also make you feel full so you are less likely to overeat. Sometimes when we feel hungry it is actually the body letting us know it needs hydration.
Happy New Year folks and cheers to healthier habits.
