Get healthy: how to change your eating habits

Get healthy: how to change your eating habits

An expert shares his advice on how you can live a healthier life.

grocery shopping
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When it comes to food, changing your eating habits can be one of the most difficult things to do.

However, sometimes life forces us to make those changes.

Be it that life-threatening disease, or wanting to lose weight, or merely just wanting to live a healthy lifestyle, changing your eating habits can really be the thin line between life and death.

According to Dr Sylven Masoga, a dietician, the body usually takes 21 days to get used to something.

So if you just keep at it, within no time, your body would have adjusted.

Here is how you can do it:

Reduce your portions

Make small changes. Do not drastically change your menu and make your body suffer. Allow your body to get used to the change.

If you are used to eating two cups of rice, start off with reducing the portion with a quarter. When you feel your body is getting used to that portion, then reduce it further by another quarter, until you reach your goal.


Be disciplined and get a support structure


Changing your eating habits will not be easy, but you have to be disciplined and concentrate on your goal. Always keep the end result in mind and remember why you’ve chosen to take this journey.

Having your family or friends supporting you can really help, especially on days you feel like throwing in the towel. Let them know what your goals are and have them hold you accountable as well.

 
Change your grocery list

Create a new grocery list. It’s pointless starting a healthier eating regime if you’re going to continue buying the same foods. You’ll have no choice but to eat what you shouldn’t be eating, and it could lead to more waste.


Cut out unhealthy snacks

Swop those non-nutritive snacks with nutritive snacks. For example, choose to eat an apple, banana, seed crackers, or berries instead of bad snacks like chips and sweets. So instead of packing junk food for work, you can choose to stock up on nutritive snacks and fruits. Be careful of bad snacks posing as healthy alternatives. Always check the labels and keep an eye on sugar and sodium content.

Limit going to places where you will be tempted to eat

Going to parties, functions, and events can make it harder for you to stick to your goal of eating healthy. Limit the time you go to functions, choose your events wisely, or make sure you eat before you leave home so that you’re not starving while you’re at the party. There’s also nothing wrong with packing a few healthy snacks in the car should you get hungry.

Don’t be too hard on yourself

Winners are those who refuse to quit the battle. They choose to rise again after falling. Choose to be a winner and not allow your old habits to defeat you. If you get tempted and fall back into your old habits, don’t beat yourself up. Just get up again and start all over again.

READ: Five foods that help you detox

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