Good Food, Bad Food
Motivational thoughts
Many of us, when thinking about healthy eating tend to classify or split food in “bad food” or “good food”, and plan to eat more “good food” of course. When we manage to eat “good food” we feel good but when we eat “bad food” from various reasons (socialising, mood…) we fell bad or guilty and maybe sometimes we judge ourselves too hard. The today’s discussion is about the line between “good food” and “bad food”.
First of all is not easy to split the food in “good” or “bad”. Ok, we all know that hard processed food ( heavy sweetened with unhealthy fats added or sweetened drinks) isn’t a healthy option while natural food (like fresh vegetables, fruits, quality fish or meat, nuts, avocado or other healthy fats) is better to be consumed more often on a daily basis. But, in practice is not so easy to follow the rules. And many times the “healthy diet” is only a projection in our minds. We keep postpone it or procrastinate just because we imagine it good and perfect but hard to access. So “next month”, “next week”, “next Monday” are more comfortable choices. Why ? Because most of us are afraid of “the change”, afraid that we can’t eat anymore the things that bring us daily comfort or we can’t go anymore in places where we use to socialise or meet our “beer or coffee” friends.
Try not to think of food as “bad” or “good”
That is why we shouldn’t try always to think of food like “bad food” or “good food”. The food evaluation shouldn’t be like an “on/off switch” but with more “grey zones” leaving room for our daily activities and plans. More important is to build healthy daily habits than being always on restriction (or thinking about it). Adding healthy foods daily, using healthy cooking techniques when you can, hydrating properly (with water) and adding a little bit of activity are practices that will improve your overall health in time. Just plan ahead small daily actions, very easy at the beginning that you can do constantly. If you are consistent with very small actions daily (which won’t change completely your lifestyle from the beginning) you will build solid habits and in time you will do them automatically.
Examples. Examples. Examples.
All you need at first is make a little time for planning the week in front of you. Let’s say it is weekend. Go shop some fresh fruits, vegetables and some quality proteins (meat, fish, seafood). If you are not at all into cooking you can shop a whole chicken from a rotisserie and get the protein for salads for a few days. Plan to have water with you all week, shop some small bottles or buy a rechargeable one. Plan to eat three healthy salads during one week. Replace all white sugar in the house. Plan to bake meat in the oven once a week instead of frying it. Choose wholemeal pasta instead of white flower pasta and do the same with rice. Order your favourite meal at the fast food without mayonnaise or other sauce. Keep your favourite places to go but try to improve something if you can. Not all the time but give it a try. And take note that if your kitchen or closet is full of processed foods when the hunger comes you automatically will eat them, so be careful to have around you also healthy or healthier options.
Keep in mind
A few weeks of hard diet and restrictions can save a wedding but won’t save your life. What you do next matters. Build habits that you can keep for life. Change is not easy but only change will bring you results. Begin this change with small actions and after some time the results will make you proud.
Even elite athletes after they reach a goal or win a competition are struggling to come back to regular training as smooth as possible because there are changes they have to make. (hard preparing for competition then competition, reaching the goal, celebrating, coming back to regular life and training -ups and downs)
