Change how you think to change the way you eat
The way you think and feel about food defines what you put on your plate. Because let’s face it, food is more than just fuel for the body. There are foods that make you feel a certain way, some foods that you’ve got a long history with memories reaching all the way to your childhood. Some foods you’ve labeled as good and some as bad, some of them you love and some hate. Therefore, whatever is on your plate can be changed by what you think of food. Meaning, changing the way you think around certain foods can help you lose weight, be healthier, build a stronger body, have more energy to be the person you always wanted to be.
Let me ask you. Have you ever promised yourself to stop eating something, just to discover that all you want now is to eat this something?! In the beginning, you try to stay strong and committed. But end up going full in for a cake from colleague’s birthday left in the office kitchen or finishing a whole box of chocolates in one seating or whatever was that ONE thing you were promising yourself to change for good. Instead, you could shift your focus to switch from feeling deprived to a feeling of abundance from new foods coming in. In other words, you will be crowding out the “bad guys” by bringing more good foods to the party.
For example, instead of committing to NOT HAVING a bar of chocolate anymore. You would commit to ADDING 2 apples, a banana, and a handful of cashews. Now when you are busy fitting new foods into your diet, chocolate might start falling out of daily diet routine.
In theory, this is easy. In real life, sometimes you might end up having all the new foods topped with the chocolate bar. But on some days you might find that focusing on finding and testing healthier options might keep your mind preoccupied and not reaching for the chocolate bar naturally. Just keep focusing on adding and bringing the good guys in and eventually the bad guys will leave.
Here is the plan to start with:
- Decide which healthy foods seem appealing to you. Start with 1-2 at a time.
- Go shopping and bring those goodies to your table.
- Test it out, meaning EAT. Yeah, happy days! You get to eat your new foods by themselves, prepared in different ways and combinations.
- Decide if any of it is for keeping. Keep an open mind, you are experimenting. Sometimes it will turn out into something great. And some of the time you will drop it like it’s hot right into the garbage bin.
- Keep the good guys coming. There are so many foods in the world that it would take you several lifetimes to test them all.
- And if you run out of ideas, just ask the digital mother of us all. Google the list of the funkiest fruits and veggies. Tick the ones you have tried against ones you’ve never heard before.
- Keep it simple and enjoy the process of discovering and adding new healthy foods.
- Progress over perfection. Every morning is a new day for a new start with a new food adventure.
A good food is when you can recognise what it is. In its natural form, unprocessed, unrefined, and full of nutrients. You might have heard a term “whole-food”.
I would add that a good food is mostly plant based making it good for you and for the planet. Surely on occasional bases you can still enjoy dairy, meat, fish, and sea food if you wish so.
I suggest educating yourself on the quality of the produce. And choose organically grown or pesticides and spray free as often as possible.
Trust in the process. And remember, You are the boss of this change process. Rest if you need to, but don’t you quit. And if ever going gets tough, I’m here to support you through any lifestyle change helping to live your life to the fullest enjoying your happier and healthier self. Thank you for taking the time to be on my blog making this a supportive community.
I believe you have all it takes to change your diet and change your life. You are in control of your happiness and health. In it’s your time to go for your dreams. Tell me one fruit or vegetable you have never tried before and how would you eat it. Let’s get this papaya party staaarted!
Know someone who might benefit from adding fruits and veggies to the diet? Share this post with them. Let’s see what’s the next food they are going to eat.
