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Changing how you eat requires breaking old habits, and breaking away from old habits requires motivation to take on a new path. Getting out of your comfort zone and trying something new isn’t always easy, no matter how logical it may seem. One way to get out of your comfort zone is to understand that where you are now in reality isn’t as comfortable as it may seem, and moving in another path is not only logical, but also emotion-driven. And emotions for most of us provide better motivation then logic. Providing the motivation for a proper diet by changing how you eat, like anything, requires knowledge. Being educated on the foods that are good and not good for us requires some investigation, and over time we incorporate new eating habits into our routine that will provide us with a better, healthier lifestyle. We would like to start here by breaking down a few myths about diet and how to change how you eat. 1. Skipping breakfast. Those who missed breakfast were likely to be fatter, possibly because they are more likely to have unhealthy snacks mid-morning to boost their energy levels. Your body needs fuel as soon as possible, as a result most dieticians state that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. 2. Exercising on an empty stomach. Would you expect your car to travel far without any gas. Then how would you expect your body to function without feeding it. But, you say, if I don’t feed it then it will start using all this excess fat. If only it were that simple. Your body under stress will pull nutrients from anywhere it can, including heart, liver and other organs. That is heading in a direction you don’t want to go. 3. Not providing your body enough calories. Although losing weight involves calories, losing weight to quickly is not safe. Aiming for one or two pounds a week is the safe way to go, as you will be sure to get enough calories to maintain smooth body function. It is true that crash diet plans are never healthy. 4. Relying on energy bars and energy drinks. For the most part they are not harmful, unless you start relying on them for nutrition. Instead stick with a variety of fruits and vegetables, as they are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fluids and fiber. 5. Eliminating the carbs. I have written on why high carb foods don’t work, but that certainly does not mean you don’t need some carbohydrates. They are important for your muscles and storing energy, just not in the quantities most of us consume. 6. Some soda and juice is okay. Juice that has added sugar and soda is not good for you. Back in the 1970s we heard a lot about the damage sugar does to us; then fingers started to point to fat as the root of all evils. More recently the focus has gone back to sugar, and for good reason. It is a drug you will be better served to keep out of your system as much as possible. Water is the answer, and it is cheap and plentiful in most of the world. Get used to drinking lots of it. Changing how you eat is always a great step towards leading a healthy lifestyle. Form new habits of eating, and it will pay dividends for the rest of your life. Motivation for eating a good diet starts with being educated on why certain foods work, and why others don't. Learn all about foods like margarine and other topics on our website. Jim O'Connell is a writer and health enthusiast living in London.
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