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Chapter 1:
Make Eating Healthy A Lifestyle, Not A Duty
A healthy diet is important for a well-functioning body. However, it isn't as restrictive or as confusing as people imagine. Food is the source of energy that we consume to provide nutritional support and has a direct impact on our cognitive performance in every stage of life.
Your food choices each day affect your overall health and wellbeing. It has a significant impact on your mood and mental health. Hence, the type and amount of food you consume has a major impact on your body.
However, eating a healthy, balanced diet doesn't mean surviving solely on carrot juice, rabbit food and bird seed. All you have to do is really simple. Eat from a wide variety of food groups in the right quantities to maintain the energy and nutrients a healthy adult needs.
The 3 Key Elements
There are several key elements involved when it comes to eating healthy, which includes: moderation, variety and balance.
The basic rule of thumb is that a person should try to balance different nutrients and food, such as protein, vegetables, dairy products and grains while minimizing alcohol, processed food and saturated fats.
Consuming a variety of food from each food group helps a person get all the important nutrients. Healthy eating helps to prevent conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and even cancer. Proteins help in repairing body tissues while carbohydrates provide the body with energy. Therefore, making healthy eating a habit will go a long way in ensuring unlimited longevity and vitality of an individual.
Remember: It shouldn’t be a DUTY to eat healthy, but a desired lifestyle.
Generally, we all know the benefits of having a healthy body, however, many of us do not know exactly how to obtain and sustain it long term.
This is the real challenge for the masses. But once you master the concept or “skill” of keeping your body fit and healthy, you will be able to easily fight any physical, mental and emotional disability.
Most of the sickness and diseases that we see today are the results of indifferent or ignorant attitude towards necessary selfcare, poor eating habits, always thinking that “it will NOT happen to me”.
But think about it. How many patients can foresee that they’re going to fall sick?
Most of the time when it hits them, it’s already too late. There’s a golden old saying of “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. A high percentage of people can have preventable diseases, only if they have sufficient and accurate knowledge on nutrition and supplements.
Common sense would tell us that junk food is trash to our body; it does not contain any nutrients for our bodily functions. Therefore, our body is not properly nourished, and there will be a high tendency for us to fall sick.
So how do we fix that? Simple – Avoid junk or “empty” calories food and go for nutrient-rich food!
Another key to a balanced diet is to “Eat in moderation”. This is an important tip to eating healthily.
So what exactly is “Moderation”? It simply means to show restraint, avoid extremes and excesses and practice prudence. An ideal diet is based on balance and variety of nutritious food in appropriate portions.
You should practice eating in moderation and not a “diet” tool. It’s a kind of belief to make your habit stick.
Think about it… Why most Diets fail? The first 3 letters already gave you the hint – DIE!
Also, have trust in yourself! You may soon find a new sense awareness and confidence of yourself and your body the moment you choose to stick to this healthy habit.
If you choose to eat moderately, it means that you are doing the right thing. Why so? This is because by doing so, you can have freedom to eat what your body deserves, in the optimal quantity.
This is an important concept when it comes to achieving your health and fitness goals. It is the best way to diet easy.
Learn to listen to your body for a healthier habit. Your body may allow you to consume a healthier diet naturally. But fear not! Eating healthier doesn’t mean there will be no room for your favorite dessert. You can still have them, but in moderation. It is important to remember that moderation means abundance in long-term, and not deprivation.
Whatever food you crave for, as long as these are consumed in moderation, is acceptable.
After all, what is life if you cannot live to enjoy your food and have to starve yourself? Life would be meaningless! Just bear in mind that too much of something is never good.
Health Is Wealth
Remember the saying “Health is Wealth”? This has never been far from the truth. Imagine you have lots of wealth, good circle of friends, happy family, good job but if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness, having all these abundance will mean nothing. NOTHING at all.
Instead, you will have to spend your time (and money) for doctor’s consultation, hospitalization, medication, countless follow-up checks, restricted diet, loss of energy and strength.
Do you want this? What measures can you take to prevent yourself from falling ill or contracting terminal illness? Is there a way? The answer is YES.
There are 2 paths in your eating habits:
1. You give in to instant gratification and shorten your lifespan. 2. You are mindful of your own food choices and live a long, healthy life.
The choice is yours.
Start by making today healthier than yesterday!
But… How do you do that?
The very first step to make a change is to set achievable goals - Goals that will gradually change your health status and overall lifestyle into a better and healthier one.
- Do you want to skip sugar from now onwards?
- Avoid drinking caffeinated drinks in the morning?
- Avoid junk food such as chips, crackers or biscuits?
- Or start tracking your daily calorie intake?
It doesn’t matter what your goals are, write them out for clarity and take massive action!
You will see and feel the difference once you start working on achieving these goals in a timely manner.
Notice this awesome feeling and enjoy the process! Cultivating this proper mindset will fuel your willpower to stay on track and also significantly improve your mood on a daily basis.
Thus, it is extremely essential that you enjoy the process while you constantly practice your new eating habits. This is an incredible way to reward yourself! – And here lies the Secret to keep a habit.
Frequently imagine yourself in your dream body because it can radically boost your self-esteem. If you look at people who are struggling with eating disorders, for example anorexia (refuse to eat) and bulimia nervosa (binge eating), you will notice that the mental pattern falls into the same category, which is having a false self-belief – thinking that they are not good enough.
Anorexics look in the mirror and see a fat person. They think that they’re fat even though their body figure is extremely under-weight or even obviously boney.
It is a mental illness that leads an individual to problematic eating disorder that harms one’s overall health and lifestyle. It can be lifethreatening as well.
Therefore, it is important to have a positive mindset about your own body and how you see yourself.
The Importance Of A Positive Mindset
Mindset plays the biggest role in determining your actions. Your mindset is the fuel to your actions. When you feel good about yourself, you will look good.
You might not be good enough now but don't worry...Don't beat yourself up. All you have to do is to keep a positive mindset.
Look into the mirror and tell yourself, “I look good”.
“And, I will look even better from now onwards. I just need to eat and live healthy.”
Looking good increases your self-esteem. And what’s most important is you need to feel good about yourself. Feeling good keeps you motivated and jovial. It gives you the energy and motivation to keep going until you’re at your best and to maintain your best.