One of the better ways to improve how you feel is what you choose to eat. How you feel is all relative to what you’re aiming for. When you don’t reach how you want to feel there is the tendency to experience disappointment. For most of us we all want to feel good about ourselves and we don’t, it can feel unsettling. Keep in mind that feeling good can come in many different ways and the longevity or the duration of it is going to differ. The things that make you feel good right now may not make you feel good later on and the things that don’t make you feel good now can make you feel better later on.
If we think about many tasty foods such as french fries, potato chips, deep dish pizza or ice cream, these foods can instantly make us feel good. The richness in fat and oil, combined with the salt or sugar makes it so savory. It can make us very comfortable and almost in a state of bliss where our worries and troubles are forgotten about for a little while. These foods are great to enjoy in moderation. But when they're eaten in excess, it can have a lagging effect that makes one lethargic and unmotivated. That want to just lounge around and do nothing just compounds feeling guilty.
What's helpful to manage yourself from relying on these types of foods is to balance it out with other foods that are fulling and tasty in their own way and enjoying things in moderation. Sometimes there's the thinking that you're either eating healthy or you're not and there is no room for in between. That if you have a cheeseburger yet you were eating highly nutritious food for six straight days it somehow means you're not living healthy or not feeling well. Instead of seeing things on a day-to-day basis we can focus more on the big picture or the sum of your choices. Knowing that you can eat well for those several days and then indulge in those high fatty or sugary foods on occasion.
Define eating well
Most of us want to live a healthy lifestyle but life gets in the way, there's so many things to do and the convenience factor of all the foods that are available makes us gravitate towards it. Fast foods can be served in a matter of minutes, or all those processed foods can just be thrown in the microwave or in the oven and be ready in a few minutes as opposed to 20 minutes or maybe even an hour when having to prepare meals yourself. It's just like exercising, it takes time away from all the work that needs to get done but when you're committed to it, it becomes a lot more manageable where you incorporated consistently. And eating well is the same concept.
To eat well, first define what that means to you. It's going to be different for every person because they have different goals that they're aiming for. If you just look at a highly demanding job such as a roofer their calorie needs are going to be a lot higher than financial planner, so it’s important to recognize the amount of energy used and eat foods that will fuel you for the day.
A roofer is moving a lot climbing ladders carrying materials ripping things off the roof and putting things on. Being on their hands and knees laying down roofing material whereas a financial planner is mostly sitting down throughout the day. So eating well for a financial planner is probably not going to fit what a roofer needs. But the concept is still going to be the same, it's the right nutrition needed to fuel the body and the mind. Essentially, it's about being efficient with the foods that you put in your body just like wanting to use time wisely instead of feeling like it was wasted, you want to know that you seized the opportunities.
Look at food as an opportunity to enhance who you are. While those foods such as french fries and doughnuts are really tasty and comforting, too much of them are inefficient calories that that will drag you down. 1,000 calories worth of french fries and doughnuts are a lot less efficient than 1,000 calories of eggs, avocado, and oatmeal.
The eggs, avocado and oatmeal are just a lot denser so pound for pound or calorie for calorie they provide a lot more energy for you that makes you a lot fuller than junk food. This is why it can be so easy to fall into the trap of just continuously eating potato chips because it can feel like you're not full and the taste keeps you going for more.
Come to evaluate the foods that you eat on a weekly basis and see which ones are helping you and which ones are not. Find out why you consistently eat certain foods other than just taste. If taste is the only reason for why you eat, that is an indication that you’re the passenger in the amount of energy you have.
That energy is secondary and are more likely to be disengaged. But if you choose food based on its nutritional value, you're more likely to make great decisions because it means you're thinking about what you do right now is going to affect you later on. You're more likely to be willing to do what's inconvenient so you can be in a better position in the future.
Plan what to eat
Once you're able to evaluate what you eat then you can start to modify what you choose to consume to bring out the great things about you. Maybe you realize that there's a high amount of salt that you're consuming, and salt is needed in the right amount because it's a vital element needed to support our overall health but maybe eliminating salt on your eggs or reducing the amount of chips that are eaten. These small changes can be lasting because it is focused on sequential progress where you gradually get acclimated instead of shocking yourself with big changes that make it overwhelming.
If you're looking to move away from certain foods that are bringing you down, start off by avoiding them every other day and then increase it to every two days, three, four and so on until you find the right fit. Maybe it’s twice a week you splurge, once a week or every other week. But doing this gradually kind of makes it like a game where you challenge yourself and you come to find out whether you're going to rise to it. And if you fall short of it well don't be too hard on yourself but really be committed to what you're striving for.
What makes avoiding certain foods hard is the fact that you're focused on what not to do, what not to have. To help overcome that, replace those foods with something else that is still enjoyable but maybe not as much. Instead of saying I'm not going to have pop tarts for breakfast you can say I'm going to have a bowl of Cheerios or a bowl of oatmeal.
If you just leave it at that avoiding eating pop tarts then maybe you might go into eating toaster strudels or having waffles. That’s not so much a healthier alternative. In the beginning as you're moving away from the high amounts of salt or sugar and you're tasting the blandness remind yourself that you’re acclimating yourself to being more independent of what feels good now so you can be better later. It’s delaying gratification and developing better self-control.
It's going to be helpful to have a meal plan for each day where you say for breakfast I'm going to have 2 eggs, 2 slices of turkey bacon and a bowl of strawberries, for lunch a turkey sandwich with trail mix and for dinner it’s either going to be chicken pasta, chicken salad or beef vegetable stew. This mentally prepares you for what's ahead and you're not disappointed by what you're going to be eating.
Where instead of usually having fried chicken on a Tuesday night and not having a plan of what to eat, you already primed yourself for the alternative. This is the acclamation stage where you're not surprised by things. When you're surprisingly disappointed, emotionally there's a letdown where things can linger and fester and there's a tendency to just dwell. But when you know what to expect you've already emotionally worked your way through it and you're more inclined to get over it, handling things a lot better.
Moderation
Another great tactic to incorporate in eating well is having well portioned meals and eating slower. You can do things like using a smaller plate to reduce the portion size and can eat to the plate. The bigger the plate the more the chance of covering it up completely. A smaller plate you’ll still fill it up but with less obligation to eat more. And if you want more you can go for seconds.
This kind of gives the illusion that you will be full because the plate is. If the plate has any empty space, it can trick you into thinking you are not full yet. As a good reference your hand size is a good indication of the portions you need to right size your plate. Drinking 17 ounces of water 30 minutes before eating will also help curb hunger. Studies have shown that doing so can reduce calorie intake by 13%.
Aim to stop eating just before you're full and this is going to take a little bit of time to get used to it. Generally, we all tend to eat until we’re full and will eat past that as there's a lag from your stomach that tells the brain when you're full. Usually, it’s about 20 minutes, so if you have a big meal that is 2,000 calories, and you eat it in 12 minutes, you're not going to feel full and then later on you're going to be like ohh I'm stuffed. Eating slower is going to help you recognize when are full. The more that you're able to do this the more you're going to recognize when you are starting to get to that point. You might even get to the point of stop eating before you're even full where you're just content.
It's estimated that the average meal takes about 20 to 30 bites to be completed. You can help slow this down by giving yourself 10 seconds in between from when you swallowed to your next bite. Eventually you're going to notice the gradual sense of starting to get full or at least starting to be satisfied. It might even be helpful through the 8th or 9th bite to really ask yourself am I full yet or am I getting there. Having this count can make you more conscious of when you are starting to get to that right point. The benefit of eating slower is it helps to improve digestion and you'll really enjoy the meal itself, savoring every bite.
Remove the distractions when you're eating and simply focus on just enjoying the meal. The things like turning off the TV or putting your phone away and just using all your intention on eating. This makes you more conscious of eating with a purpose as opposed to just mindlessly eating. This is just a great practice overall because it's really going to help you be more present in the moment as opposed to just your mind drifting off into so many different avenues. This tactic is really going to be useful in maintaining and even losing weight if that's something that you're aiming for.
Grow your taste
When you're incorporating good eating habits, what's also going to be beneficial is growing your taste in food. Try things that you haven't been exposed to or just things that you eat less frequently. Aim to have a colorful assortment of foods throughout the week. It can be difficult to get all the different color foods in a day which takes a lot of planning and commitment to it but at least throughout the week you give yourself enough time to get the essential nutrients.
If on Monday and Tuesday, you didn't get any fruit and vegetables then you have the rest of the week to get it done so you're not feeling the pressure of I need to get it done every single day. Consuming things that are green, purple, red, orange, and yellow, all the different array of colors, it's just a great way to get what you need.
You can add peppers, onions, eggplants, and bac choy and stir fry them serve it with rice or with hummus or bread or whatever it is. This helps to expand your palate and can get away from needing to have excess salt or excess sugar. It's going to make you more diverse and you're probably going to feel a whole lot better too because now it gets you to evaluate different foods, using that curious side of the mind. Some things you're going to like and some things you're not but that's OK. This just really conditions you to try new things, where you're willing to take on risk.
Certain things are going to leave a bad taste in your mouth, and this is just a good metaphor for life in general because most of us do experience bad taste that lingers with us so by being exposed to this, it gives the opportunity to get past it and not let it deter you from trying something new, from taking on risks. Just like anything, some things are going to work out and others are not. This can instill a sense of adventure and excitement.
In trying new foods, it can open a whole new world where you might be so moved to go visit other places. To not only taste what's to offer but experience the culture. This could be going to India or Bangladesh because of the richness and diverseness in their food. Or to Peru to try their vast cuisine. Through food is how we can meet and connect with people even amongst different languages. While you might not be able to clearly speak Swahili in Uganda, your willingness to try their cooking, expressing your gratitude. Food is what we all have in common, that can unite us. Food is the gateway to new experiences and places if you are willing to step outside of what is known.
Final thoughts
Food is a pivotal piece in how well we are both mentally and physically. If you want to feel better about yourself start with the foods that you eat because there your energy source. Simply what taste good right now and is comforting may not be what's good for you in the long run so come to evaluate what you're willing to put in your body. Be willing to say no to that donut and say yes to the broccoli on a consistent basis. Eating well doesn't have to be an all or nothing lifestyle.
It's not because you have lots of fruits and vegetables five days out of the week and then two days out of the week you let yourself break free from that. There is nothing wrong with that. It's not just about living a long life but living a well and fulfilling life. A long life doesn't mean that it's a good life and a short one doesn't mean it's a bad one. Really come to monitor how foods affect you and not just in the short term not just in the next few minutes or hours but over the next days, weeks and months. They're going to be a huge key to the quality of life that you live.
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