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Why Health Eating Does Not Always Get You What You Want
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For those of you who have decided that you are going to get healthy, get off that sugar train, and get serious about your health, first off, congratulations! Nutrition is what fuels our bodies and without proper nutrition, you can’t expect to get optimal results, now can you?
Have you found, though, that it’s harder than you thought? Do you ‘backslide’ and find yourself at the drive through too often? Or do you find that healthy eating hasn’t satisfied you somehow? Don’t fret; we have some tips for you.
Now, for those of you who decided a few months back to get healthy and eat right, are you disappointed? Do you feel as if you are doing everything right but you still have a lack of energy or headaches or some other type of issue that you were sure healthy eating would solve? Don’t feel bad, you are not alone.
We are going to discuss the ways you can help yourself continue to eat healthy on those days you just want to reach for fries and a shake, as well as those of you who have been eating healthy but simply aren’t getting the results you want. Sometimes healthy eating does not always get us what we wanted at first, but once you know a few secrets and tips, you will have a better understanding of how this process, and your body, works.
Don’t give up; keep reading for some great tips and information.
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First, for those of you who want to change your eating habits but are struggling to do so, let’s look at the things that are probably holding you back.
1. The “I’ll start Monday” routine
OK, we have all done this at one time or another. We are going to start our healthy eating routine on Monday, so we eat our little hearts out over the weekend. This is a bad mindset to get into. First, you are thinking that you will be saying goodbye to all the really “good” or “delicious” food and that’s not true. You don’t want to feel deprived, instead, you want to think of this as a swap, something bad (doughnuts) for something tasty and healthy (smoothies). Also, healthy eating is a habit, and habits take some time to change. Don’t go overboard and throw everything in your kitchen into the trash.
Start by changing one meal at a time. Perhaps you want to start with lunch. Begin by making healthy lunches and taking them to work. Do that for about 2 weeks, then you might want to change your snacks. Ditch the chips and cookies for nuts or yogurt. Small changes add up and before you know it, you will find you don’t want the crap you used to eat and you will crave an avocado and tomato salad.
2. Not Planning
Besides, after you do your binge eating over the weekend, you find on Monday that you still have lots of food in the house that you bought for your little farewell party. You don’t want to waste food or money so you will start Tuesday…then it’s Wednesday…you can see where this is going, right? That’s why the Monday thing won’t work.
Instead, start small and plan your lunches for the week on Friday night or Sunday. Go shopping for everything you need for the week to prepare those lunches. A lack of preparation will mean that, when you don’t have lunch for Monday afternoon, you will hit the drive through. Plan ahead and it will work out much better.
3. Don’t Sabotage Your Efforts
Bringing junk food into your house is a recipe for disaster. Those cookie boxes talk, friends, usually late at night when you want a snack. They say things like “One little cookie won’t hurt you,” or “No one ever died from one candy bar.” Rather than reason with the candy or cookies, just don’t have the conversation to begin with. Don’t bring stuff you shouldn’t eat into the house. Just don’t do it.
4. Party Strategy
This is always difficult, but not as bad as you might think. Almost every party has something healthy you can eat, even if it’s just vegetables and salad. If it’s a pot luck, or a friend you know well, bring your own food to share, like a homemade soup. Read more about healthy eating on holidays.
Eat something beforehand so you won’t be hungry and carry a zip lock baggie with some nuts in case you find yourself tempted to eat something you shouldn’t.
SEE ALSO: 10 Healthy Eating Myths
5. Eat What You Love
Don’t eat foods because they are healthy, eat things you LOVE that are also healthy for you. If you hate salads, don’t plan on eating one every day or you will simply go back to your old habits. Eat what you love so eating is a pleasure! It’s different for everyone, of course, but almost everyone loves yogurt, berries, nuts, seeds, cottage cheese, salmon, and oatmeal, for example. Whatever it is that you really love, (and that’s healthy, of course) eat it! Food should be enjoyed!
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Now, for those of you who have been eating healthy and not getting the results you thought you would, this is more common than you might think. Putting healthy nutrients into your body does not necessarily mean that your body can use them. At least not right away. It’s like not exercising for years. Then you decide to get in shape. You go walking a few times per week and after a few months; you are surprised that you can’t run a marathon. Now anyone would tell you that after years of neglect, your body just doesn’t work that fast, that you need more time and to build up to a marathon.
The same thing is really true of eating healthy, friends. If you have spent years, or perhaps most, of your life eating junk foods, it’s going to take some time to recover. There are several reasons why your body might not be absorbing all the nutrients you are shoveling into it including:
- Low stomach acid
- Enzyme deficiency
- Magnesium deficiency
- Parasites
- Unrelieved stress
- Gut flora imbalance
So even though you have started eating healthy, there are numerous things blocking the absorption of nutrients. Some of the natural methods you can use to reverse this are:
- Prebiotics and probiotics, to improve your gut flora
- Apple cider vinegar
- Cloves
- Fermented foods
You should also be certain that you are consuming only whole and truly nutrient dense foods (super foods). Eat a mainly plant-based diet with plenty of fermented foods and healthy fats such as avocados and coconut oil. Try to eliminate all sugar, alcohol, and caffeine for a while and see if this improves how you feel.
Don’t give up on eating healthy, give up the things that are stopping you from being the healthiest you ever!
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