Unlock the Secret to Healthy Eating Habits

It’s easy to come across helpful information on eating healthier such as minimizing processed foods and increasing fresh produce. Then you’re faced with how to actually work that advice into your everyday life when you’re in the habit of grabbing a quick sandwhich and fries at the closest fast food place on your lunch break at work.

I’ve enjoyed reading Leo Babauta’s zenhabits blog for years and recently he posted an excellent article on why you can’t eat healthier. I wanted to share my favorite part of Leo’s post that explains why you can’t just wake up one day, decide you’re going to eat healthier and the rest is smooth sailing. He then provides tips to help unlock healthier habits. Emphasized text is from me and each tip links out to a more detailed post on zenhabits:

We all need love and pleasure and rewards, and ways of dealing with stress, boredom, sadness, loneliness, anger and frustration. For many of us, food has become the default way of meeting all those needs — and we can’t just take away the food without finding a healthier replacement. If we do, we’ll fall back into our old habit quickly.

It has taken me years to figure this out and to slowly build new, healthier habits to deal with all of these needs. But I can honestly say I’ve done it, and it’s possible. Do I still think about food when I’m lonely or sad or stressed? Sure. But now I have consciously built up some replacement coping mechanisms that work better for me, and I’m much healthier, leaner and fitter as a result.

Some things that have worked for me (your mileage will vary):

• Exercise – a great way to deal with stress, boredom, anger. After awhile, a run can also be pleasure and a reward.
• Meditation – excellent way of learning to deal with all of our emotions.
• Tea – also great for stress, boredom, anger, but for me a great reward and source of pleasure.
• People – I’ve learned to get my love from friends and family, and to use them as ways of dealing with my tougher emotions — talking with them, working out with them, simply spending time with them.
• Cleaning – decluttering, mindful sweeping, mindful wiping things down with a rag (TM). A great way to mindfully deal with stress, boredom, anger, etc.
• Solitude – I’ve found solitude a great way to deal with tougher emotions (you learn to work out your problems instead of avoiding them by eating food), and solitude can be a reward as well.

Read the rest of Leo’s post here.