I didn’t want to write the typical January article about a new year, a new you. I wanted to dig deeper into why people find it so hard to eat healthy or eat “clean.’ So, my research began.
Most people would say that to eat healthy we should add more fruits and vegetables to our diet. Eat less red meat and less processed foods. Cut back on the sugar. It sounds simple enough. Yet, Americans still struggle to follow a healthy diet, but why?
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death, and obesity rates have grown from 30.5% in 2000, to over 50%, today. Having a healthy diet can help combat both of these. Yet, only an estimated 22% of Americans follow the American Heart Association’s dietary recommendations. I get it, unhealthy or “bad” foods taste so good, but the truth is, so do healthy or “good” foods. You have to make a conscious decision to want to change the way you eat. Eventually, you will love everything you eat. You will also love the way you look and feel.
So, I just answered part of the question of why people can’t stick to a healthy diet. The other reasons I believe people don’t eat healthy is because of misguided assumptions. As I just mentioned, people believe healthy foods aren’t tasty. Many still view healthy eating as being too restrictive, low fat, low calorie, low sugar. Then there are the perceptions that healthy foods are expensive, and recipes are complex.
If someone asks me to work with them, I ask them to write down everything they put in their mouth for one week. Everything, right down to a mint and a glass of water. We then can review dietary habits. I can then make suggestions as to what to cut out, what to add, and what they can keep.
We start with small changes. Don’t just change your diet completely. You won’t be successful if you do this. You will still see the benefits, starting slow, and this is a good way to keep you on track. Change one or two things in your diet for a couple of weeks. Once it becomes a staple of your diet, or not in your diet, move on to another item, and repeat the process. For instance, if you drink soda three or four times per week, cut it back to twice a week, and drink a mixture of seltzer water and fresh squeezed juice the other days. If you have a sugary sweet treat every day, cut that back to a couple of times per week. Try adding a new vegetable to your diet. If you cut carbs and sugar back, you would be surprised at how much you can eat, lose weight, and become healthier. Good carbs are important, but even the good carbs should be limited. If I eat carbs, it is only for one meal. At meals I don’t eat carbs, I love what I eat, and I can eat as much as I want. It is also the preparation of the foods you may need/want to change. When you find things you enjoy, you won’t miss the bad foods you gave up. I promise that these small changes will make you feel and look better. This will be an incentive to want to keep making changes.
I have mentioned in the past, there are good chips, good sweets, etc. You don’t have to give up everything. Even pizza. Pizza is a great lunch option because it has all your food groups in it. It will energize you, not make you sluggish, but you should limit it to one or two pieces. The problem is that most people, especially in this country, overeat!
There are many good food options. You just have to want it, and you have to make the effort to make the necessary changes. If you are too lazy to want to make these changes, remind yourself of this saying: “Eating healthy is expensive, but being sick is even more expensive.” Not only is it expensive, but being unhealthy could be fatal.
I often ask myself, why does it seem that some people are not interested in eating healthier, so as to feel and look better? Food should be enjoyed, but not indulged. Food should make us happy, not unhealthy. There is an old saying: “Eat to live, don’t live to eat.”
Last tip I can give is to encourage a family member or friend to join you on this journey of eating healthier. It’s always easier doing something with a buddy. You can share or create recipes together. You can help motivate each other, and help each other stay on track.
“Came from a plant, eat it; was made in a plant, don’t.”
“When the diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need.”
