Eating with Purpose

Tips to Tune Up Your Eating Attitude

Developing a healthy relationship with food will be a key milestone in helping you and your family along the path to healthy eating. Whether you feel guilty for filling up on sweet treats or simply ignoring what you are putting into your mouth, both can be a sign that you could use a tune up on your eating attitude! How can you start to make the change from eating your way into a food coma vs. eating for energy?

Here are some tips to help you eat purposefully:

1. Understand the link between eating and energy. Healthy food gives you energy! Choosing foods that are high in sugar and refined carbohydrate will provide you with lows and highs in blood sugar (and energy). The body prefers to have a steady state of energy to keep you going throughout the day. Fill your plate with fruits, vegetables, and lean protein in order to keep this steady state of energy going. You will be amazed at how quickly you will feel the change.
2. Eat for reasons other than filling your belly. Have an awareness of the link between disease prevention and food. Be mindful about choosing foods to improve health such as eating brightly colored vegetables for their disease fighting antioxidants and choosing to eat fish for its omega 3 fatty-acid content. Knowledge is power! Making informed food choices will help you feel better physically and emotionally.
3. Think twice before you bite! Before you delve into that next piece of chocolate cake, take a moment to think about what food you’ve already filled your body with. Have you had your fill of fruits and vegetables for the day? Have you had enough protein to sustain your energy? If you have, then go for it! But if you’ve neglected to fill your body with healthy foods first, rethink your decision. Choose to have a glass of water instead, go for a walk around the block, or find another non-food related distraction. There is a difference between saying “No” entirely and saying “Not yet” or “Not now”. You are in control.

Being mindful of what you eat will help you on your way to developing a positive attitude towards food. This will help you look and feel your best and will help you model healthy eating for your family.