Tips to Healthy Eating

Let me start by saying, I don't want to hear any groans. Eating healthy doesn't have to taste like "cardboard" and it shouldn't be boring. You should have variety in the things you eat. Here are some tips to start with. Start with a few changes and then you can keep adding new things. This way it won't be a "shock" to your system and you will be more likely to stick with the changes you have made.

1-Drink lots of water. Our thirst and hunger triggers are a little goofy. Our thirst trigger is so slow getting started that our bodies will trigger hunger because it is faster, even though your body is actually thirsty. So making sure that our bodies are hydrated will help with some of those hunger pangs. Reach for Water First.

2-Make sure that all snacks and meals are balanced well. If we make sure that protein, carbohydrates and fats are balanced out then we won't have those highs and lows. Those lows are caused by your blood sugar getting too low. This is not good for your body. If your blood sugar gets too low then it takes your body time to digest the food and catch up to where you start feeling better and by then you can overeat and not feel well for the opposite reason. Also if you are not careful what you eat when your blood sugar gets too low and only eat carbs, especially simple sugars, then your blood sugar can spike and then drop even lower than it was before. It's best to avoid this all together by eating regular meals and snacks. However, if you do get really hungry, make sure that you eat complex carbs with a protein. This will keep the carbs from digesting too quickly and will help extend the release of sugar over an extended period of time. So you will feel full longer and your blood sugar won't spike and fall.

3-Take your time eating. Your hunger trigger takes about 30 minutes after you are full to turn off and then you actually feel full. So take the time to enjoy your food.

4-Be conscious of your decisions and pay attention to your body and what you are eating. Some of this will mean some planning ahead but like anything else it will get easier the more you do it. Make a meal plan for the week or if you are really good, two weeks or a month. Include some quick fixes or alternate meals just in case. Also come up with snack ideas as well. Then go to the store and get only the things you'll need. Making sure that you only get the things on your list keeps you from buying treats and things you don't need and you will also save money. The other key is to be flexible with this. Make sure they are meals that you can interchange as your week progresses and as things come up so you'll be able to roll with the punches. Try prepping some of your snacks ahead of time to make sure that they are ready to go when you are. The other thing to keep in mind is that these need to be foods you like, but we also need to be open to new things. Food doesn't have to be boring. It should be varied and it can be fun to prepare and eat. You just have to play around with it and figure out what you like.