Mental Moment-Eating Healthy
There certainly is a mental component to eating healthy particularly for people who are trying to lose weight. Much of this stems from how we ate as kids. We pick up our eating habits from our parents and other family members. For most people food is tied to emotions which makes it incredibly hard habit to change. Shopping and cooking is a challenge for people who have never shopped or cooked, people who work a lot and people who live alone.
On top of that, eating healthy is not as easy as people make it seem. Sure at the basic level eat more fruits and veggies, drink lots of water and stay away from as much sugar as you can. Not too hard to follow. Although fruits and veggies are expensive. They are less expensive when you buy non-organically but still expensive. I know because in our household we eat a lot of them. Fruits and veggies are probably half of our grocery bill.
Beyond the basic level there is so much to know. Some people would say it’s important to read the labels and stay away from too much bad fat or too much sugar. Don’t eat foods that are in the middle of the grocery store. Don’t eat fast food. Don’t eat processed food. Don’t eat frozen meals. Even the food labeled ‘diet’ is not really diet nor is it good for you. The list of don’t and shouldn’t go on. It can be so complicated.
It can be complicated but it doesn’t have to be. When all else fails I go back to the basic level because although still emotionally charged, hard to change and a bit more expensive I feel like it’s a great start to eating healthy and a sustainable lifestyle change. Eat more fruits and veggies, drink lots of water and stay away from as much sugar as you can. Additionally, from what I know about food, particularly from a psychological perspective, every meal should be a combination of protein and carbohydrates and you should be eating something every few hours. Why eat every few hours? You need to keep the fire (energy) burning. You need to keep your body and mood fed and balanced. You want to keep your blood sugar level. You don’t want to starve yourself (for numerous reasons) because when you do eat you’ll grab for the not so healthy foods. The conversation now turns from talking about eating healthy for weight and health purposes to eating for your mood and blood sugar.
Here’s what the basics look like:
- Breakfast: fruit, veggie, carbohydrate and protein (coffee/tea)
- Snack (3ish hours later): fruit, veggie, carbohydrate and protein
- Lunch: fruit, veggie, carbohydrate and protein
- Snack (3ish hours later): fruit, veggie, carbohydrate and protein
- Dinner: fruit, veggie, carbohydrate and protein
- Snack (not too close to bread): fruit, veggie, carbohydrate and protein
- 64 oz of water
Yep a little bit of everything (balanced) each time you eat. The only difference is that snacks should be smaller in quantity. You should try to stay away from eating carbohydrates by themselves because carbohydrates alone turn into sugar which raises your blood sugar and causes an imbalance in your mood and a desire for more sugar. You’ll notice there is no sugar listed. Fruits and carbs contain sugar. There is also no fats listed and that’s not because you shouldn’t eat them. You should but in moderation. Stay away from packaged and frozen meals.
I am not a nutritionist but I do know a thing or two about food particularly from a psychological perspective. I am also not saying this is simple but make it as simple as you can. Next week pick one thing i.e. having a healthy snack and try it. Don’t beat yourself up for not have 3 healthy snacks all 7 days but work through what works and what doesn’t and see what happens.
Happy end of the week!
Dr. Michelle
Photo credit: news.harvard.edu
