Healthy Eating Habits

Here at Alignment Studio, you will hear me talk about proper nutrition and eating for health. What, exactly, does that mean? Most of you are looking for healthy ways to lose weight. The thing to remember is that losing and maintaining weight is much less about calories in vs calories out as it is about nutrients in and toxins out.

If we consume proper amounts of nutrients for our bodies and our goals, our body is able to flush out toxins and our metabolism and hormonal systems are balanced. To ensure we are eating all our nutrients, we need to stick to whole foods and avoid processed foods, especially fast foods. If we are eating the wrong foods, our metabolism will slow down—even if we are eating a lot of food. This means all those excess calories are being stored as unhealthy fat.

How can we ensure we are eating for nutrition and not just to eat? In other words, how can we be sure we have healthy eating habits? Well, there are some bad habits that we need to replace with good habits. Here are five that I see the most:

• Eating too fast. If we eat too quickly, the brain does not have enough time to register that we are full. We are less satisfied and tend to eat more. Slow down. Take the time to taste your food. You will eat less and feel more satisfied.

• Mindless eating. This is a big one. We are always in a hurry and eat on the go. We watch TV and eat. We end up cleaning our plates and not really tasting the food. Again, slow down. Always sit down and pay attention to your food. You will find more satisfaction out of eating less.

• Skipping meals. It is easy to run out of the house without breakfast or work through lunch. Don’t. Study after study has shown that people who skip meals will eat more at the next meal and feel less satisfied. They eat more empty calories than they would have had they not skipped a meal. Also, study after study has shown that people who take the time for lunch are more productive at work. Take the time to sit down and enjoy a meal. You will be happier and healthier for it.

• Not sleeping enough. We live busy lives. We work long hours. Getting enough sleep is HARD. However, the latest studies are showing that getting 7 hours of sleep each night is optimal for health. Our hormone levels are more balanced. We make healthier choices and are able to steer clear of high-fat, high-calorie junk foods. We feel happier. It is OK to turn off the text, facebook, e-mail, etc. and allow yourself that 7 hours to just sleep.

I have many tips to help you consume what you need when you need it. I completely understand a busy lifestyle; I live a busy lifestyle! Please ask me for any tips and suggestions; you know I am always happy to share!