Healthy Eating Habits
We live in a world where we are expected to produce high quality work in absurdly fast turn-around times. This is due to the convenience and speed that computers, PDAs, cell phones, and other gadgets have brought to our lives. Much of these expectations are unrealistic, but they have infiltrated our psyche. This thought process has worked its way into other areas of our lives as well. We now have come to expect immediate results on things like investments, home improvement projects, and our diets, whether it is realistic or not.
This explains why so many people who would normally be considered intelligent, are sucked into fad diets. These programs often advocate unhealthy eating habits to ensure rapid results, and are backed by massive advertising and publicity campaigns. We mistake publicity and popularity for effectiveness. Do you honestly think the authors of those fad diets are interested in your health – or in their wealth?
Why Do We Eat
When you ask yourself the question, “why do I eat,” the obvious answer seems to be “because I”m hungry.” If that gnawing feeling in the pit of your stomach was all there was, hunger would be considered a comfort, not a necessity to life. The fact is that food keeps us alive. It nourishes our bodies. It feeds our bones, our blood, and our brains. Without the right balance of the right foods, we cannot function at optimum capacity.
We gain weight for two reasons. Number one, we consume more food than we need. Number two is that we don”t get enough exercise to burn off the calories that we consume. There are many reasons that we eat. Stress, boredom, and fear are just three. But if you look carefully, you will see that these are all emotional responses and have nothing to do with hunger or nourishment.
Emotional eating makes us eat when our bodies do not need the extra food, resulting in weight gain. Just as it is not healthy to eat too much, it is also not good to completely cut out any of the essential nutrients required for a healthy body. Carbohydrates for example, are healthy and necessary for various functions in our bodies. Too many, and specific types of carbohydrates will result in weight gain.
Everything in Moderation
Quick fixes and miraculous weight loss are what sell books, and fad diet authors know that well. Healthy eating is really a matter of eating in moderation. A little bit of everything won’t harm you, so instead of sitting in front of the TV finishing a whole bag of chips, pour a handful into a bowl and eat that. The answer to weight gain is not a fad diet, starving your body of the balance of nutrients it needs, or the treats you would like. A healthy balanced diet is the best way to lose weight.
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