What is healthy eating?
Healthy eating means you consume a varied and balanced diet. This enables your body to get essential nutrients and the right amounts of protein, fats, sugar, and salt. Enjoying a diverse range of foods keeps your body at a healthy weight, without monotony or excessive costs.
Your calorie intake should align with your activity levels and a healthy, balanced diet nurtures your overall wellbeing. It ensures you have enough energy to perform daily tasks and exercise. It also reduces your chances of contracting diseases, promoting a long life. Eating too many calories regularly can cause weight gain and spikes in blood sugar, especially from processed carbs. Brief overeating may induce insulin resistance, heightening your risks of obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Chronic overindulgence increases the likelihood of heart disease, strokes and diabetes.
Eating the same foods all the time can lead to various health issues. You may not get enough of some nutrients or risk too much of others. This poses a threat to your overall health. It can be a challenge to change ingrained behaviours and overcome issues like emotional eating. But it’s never too late to begin your healthy eating journey and with the right support you can adopt healthier eating habits.
What causes unhealthy eating habits?
Unhealthy habits often develop because of a combination of factors. Identifying your personal root causes is important so you can make healthier changes.
Social influences
Cultural norms among your friends and family can influence your eating habits. Overly large portions or a reliance on processed foods high in fat and sugar might seem normal. You could feel pressure to eat out or order takeaways regularly. At social events, you may find that excessive alcohol and sugary drinks are common pitfalls.
Stress and lifestyles
Boredom and stress can contribute to unhealthy eating habits. Stress-related eating affects both teens and adults as it is used as a coping mechanism. This could be because of a high pressure job, financial or relationship difficulties, or other personal crises. Hectic lifestyles can also lead to unhealthy habits, like eating close to bedtime.
Mental health issues
Poor eating habits are often linked to conditions such as depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. You may use food to manage your emotions, leading to cycles of binge eating or restrictive eating patterns.
How does it affect people?
The effects of poor dietary choices extend beyond weight concerns, impacting both your physical and mental wellbeing.
Mental wellbeing
Diet significantly affects mood and mental health. Consuming too much processed meat, fried foods, sweets and high-fat dairy can lead to increased irritability, anxiety and depression. A lack of essential nutrients can make pre-existing conditions worse. Your unhealthy eating may also impact your self-esteem and body image. You may feel ashamed or guilty about your eating habits. This is often the case if it has resulted in weight gain or if you have tried and failed to change your habits in the past.
Physical wellbeing
If you have unhealthy eating habits, you may experience low energy levels. This can affect your concentration and productivity at work and in relationships. Consuming too much sugar and processed foods leads to energy spikes and crashes, so you may have persistent fatigue. This can make it hard to find enough energy and motivation to take part in hobbies or activities.
Long-term implications of unhealthy eating include hypertension, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer.
How can it be managed?
Maintaining good health involves a balanced diet. This includes 5 daily portions of fruits and vegetables, starchy carbohydrates as a meal base, dairy or alternatives, proteins, and unsaturated oils while limiting fats, salt, and sugar. Numerous strategies can help you start reaping the benefits of healthier eating patterns.
Build better habits
Planning enjoyable, healthy meals contributes to you having a more positive eating experience. Only buying what you need for a week’s meals will help you stick to your balanced choices. Pack a weekly, controlled lunch for portion control and greater convenience. You can stack them in the fridge or the freezer to grab each day. Small habits will add up too: if you automatically put salt on all your food, this is one habit you should try to break. Prioritise getting five daily servings of fruits and vegetables as this will build a nutrient-packed plate. Establish regular eating patterns, such as having three balanced meals a day and healthy snacks.
Support groups
If you feel you need accountability, support groups are ideal for tracking your progress. Joining a weight loss or healthy living group can provide you with valuable community support, guidance and motivation. These can be an important positive and supportive environment, especially if you’ve struggled with social pressures.
Diet & Nutrition Apps
Various apps can help you to track your food intake and promote healthier eating habits. You can chart your own specific goals, whether it’s cutting out sweets or getting more protein. Being able to see your progress can give you more motivation to stay on track.
Medication
You may consider medical advice if you have tried other methods without success or have underlying medical conditions. Drugs that aid weight management for eligible patients, while over-the-counter supplements may suppress appetite. You should always consult with your GP first, reporting any side effects. You will also need to explore other treatments to ensure long-term success.
Talking Therapies
Therapies like CBT can help you understand and change your eating habits by dealing with any underlying psychological issues. It can provide a safe space for you to explore emotions related to your eating habits. They focus on mental and emotional aspects, which can be beneficial for those with emotional or stress-related eating issues. Talking therapies like hypnotherapy are tailored to your specific needs and challenges. They can help you to develop healthier coping mechanisms and eating habits.
How can hypnotherapy help?
Hypnotherapy for healthy eating is a practical solution to managing your eating habits. It empowers you to control what and how much you eat, overcome cravings and develop healthy eating habits. This holistic approach combines hypnotherapy and psychotherapy to reframe your relationship with food. Hypnotherapy helps you to understand and change your thought patterns, reducing anxiety and stress. Healthy eating hypnosis is a practical solution for managing your food habits. By accessing the subconscious mind, it alters your deep-seated habits and thought patterns related to food and eating. This helps you to make healthier choices and handle emotions positively. Solution focused hypnotherapy accelerates the formation of new habits, making the process painless. It addresses any emotional eating and enables you to set clear goals for success. You may need the support of hypnosis for emotional eating or are looking for hypnosis for food cravings. Alongside other lifestyle changes, hypnotherapy can help you achieve a healthier relationship with food.
Adapted from: Inspired to Change
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