5 Tips To Change The Way You Think About Food

5 Tips To Change The Way You Think About Food

5 Tips To Change The Way You Think About Food

For many of us, it seems that there is one four-letter word that will send a lot of people running away. This word begins with an “f” and it’s always around. Many of us seem to have a love hate relationship with this. It is something that you absolutely can’t live without, but it can be hard to live with.

An issue that affects thousands of Americans is food addiction.  Can you guess what the most common food addictions are? According to the Food Addiction Institute, the most common food addictions are sugar, flour, grains, salts or any food that contains a combination of these ingredients. These food addictions lead to overeating, purging and binging.

5 tips to change the way you think about food

Your Attitude Towards Food

Think about your attitude when it comes to food. When you eat, do you eat to live or do you live to eat? If you live to eat, I’m sure you have come to realize that this is an area you have to work on. Food should not be used as a reward, or seen as the main source of comfort in times of distress.

Don’t be afraid to see a qualified professional who will be able to help you figure out if you have a food addiction problem. If they decide that it is an issue, they will be able to put together a treatment plan to deal with the problem.

Use Food For Sustenance

Keep in mind that your diet affects the health of your mind as well as your body. If junk food is all you eat, you will end up consuming foods that deprive your body of key nutrients it needs to thrive.

Avoid Crash Diets

Another of the 5 tips to change the way you think about food is that going on a strict diet is typically not the answer. People usually are not able to maintain a strict diet over time, and end up going back to their old eating habits. In the long run it’s better to make healthy lifestyle changes that include eating whole foods and being conscious of portion control.

5 tips to change the way you think about food

Take Care Of Yourself

Remember, self-care is the key. Unfortunately, we are constantly being bombarded by the mainstream media’s idea of what “perfect body” looks like. Don’t be overly critical of yourself. This will only lead to a defeatist attitude. No one is perfect, and you will make mistakes over the course of time. Don’t forget you are aiming to make progress each day. You are not trying for perfection. Many people make unhealthy eating decisions because of their emotions. When there’s loneliness, pain and stress a person may eat to feel better. However, after eating they may then feel shame and guilt. To make thing worse, the eating doesn’t change anything and the feelings that triggered the emotional eating are still there.

Avoid Emotional Eating

You cannot cope with destructive emotions by eating. With time you can learn sensible ways to cope with emotional distress that do not include eating. A few of the skills that you can use to deal with negative feelings are seeing a therapist, engaging in activities that promote health and wellness, and talking with friends. In 2013 they performed a study with 68 people. The participants in this research were asked to not eat for 5 hours before the study.

Avoid Shopping When You Are Hungry

The study participants were then randomly assigned to two groups. One group was given a plate and food and asked to eat until they were no longer hungry. the members of the other half of the study were not given anything to eat. All the members of the study were then told to shop in a simulated online grocery store that was stocked with a mixture of low calorie foods and high calorie foods. The low calorie foods were such things as fruits and vegetables. The high calorie foods included items like candy, red meat and salty snacks. The members of the study that were hungry ended up choosing a greater amount of higher calorie foods.

This shows that when you shop for food while hungry you will make bad decisions. So, be sure to always shop for food when you are not feeling hungry. If you keep these tips in mind, this will help you to stay away from situations that lead to making negative decisions about food and eating.

5 tips to change the way you think about food

 

Additional Resources:

Overcoming Dieting Slumps
Weight Management During The Holidays
Weight Loss Tips and Diet Information
How To Get Started With A Calorie Shifting Diet

Relevant Hashtags: #foodaddiction #food #foodaddict #healthyfood #healthyeating #healthylifestyle #eatinghealthy

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Rachel Berne

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