It’s no secret that breaking habits can be even harder than starting new habits.

Especially when those habits are related to your health.  If you tend to gravitate toward unhealthy junk foods, it can be a considerable struggle to change your eating habits to incorporate healthier items.   

There are a few reasons why this is so difficult to do, and even better, there are several tricks you can implement to get over that hump. 

We’re talking about breaking the junk food habit and beginning to eat more amazing and delicious whole foods… 

Let’s break this down into some simple steps:

 

Go gradual with your cutbacks  

Junk food is loaded with sugar, and your body gets hooked on it like drug addicts get hooked on crack.  Your body gets the same sort of high, and not only that, it needs more and more to get the same “high”.  What’s a gal to do?

Start by cutting down on these junk foods that are currently in your diet. You’ll get less of a high from them, and you’ll be more likely to stick to your healthy eating goals. Start by taking the sugar out of your coffee, or by switching out your snacks each day with a healthy snack.  Whatever small step you choose, stick with it until you’re comfortable with your new healthy habit — then move on to your next healthy habit.  It works like a charm!  

 

Never buy foods with more than five ingredients 

In the supermarket, you should mainly roam the fresh aisles where the produce and unprocessed foods are.  We’re talking the outside perimeter.  That’s where the food your grandparents ate is located.  However, there are still staples you’ll need from the inner aisles. Read those labels when you find items in those inner aisles, and try to find the healthiest option possible of what you’re shopping for — five ingredients or less, and the make sure you can pronounce those ingredients.   

 

Add more colors and textures to your plate 

A salad is impossible to eat if you just throw soggy lettuce in a bowl. Instead, make it a rainbow of colors and a playground of textures. Add tomatoes, colorful peppers, crunchy seeds, or even a bit of goat cheese to please your palate. 
Whole Food plate

Break your bad habit cycles 

If you always ventured to the vending machine at work in the mid-afternoon, it’s time to break the pavlovian. Sister, just walk on by and keep on strolling and increase your movement in the process. It will only take a few weeks to replace that old bad habit with a good one, and you’ll be feeling so good about your swapped habit that you’ll be ready to tackle your next one.  

 

Make healthy foods more accessible 

You’re more likely to eat right when you’ve got a healthy snack ready to go. Bag up portions of mixed nuts, make your own trail mix, and keep cut up veggies with hummus around and you’ll always have a healthy go-to snack. 

 Kiwi Strawberry

Don’t keep junk in the house 

Let me repeat…don’t keep the offending foods within arms reach.  To make the switch complete, keeping those junky items where you live. That way if you get a craving at midnight, you won’t be willing to run out and get it. You’ll train yourself to save sweets and treats for special occasions instead of for late night snacks. 

 

Allow yourself to be disgusted 

A great way to make the change to eating less processed foods is to really learn what’s in them. Go ahead, pull those packaged foods out and research the labels. Look up all the ingredients you can’t pronounce. Check out the amount of non-food in your food.  Not quite so appetizing now, are they? 

 

Be patient and kind with yourself, too. Remember this is a journey.  There will be lots of stumbling and learning along the way.  Your inner voice needs your patience and nurturing to make this change for the better.  Once you’ve taken on these five habit changes your will have a whole new perspective for the term “diet”.  

 

Rather than simply reading about it why don’t you contact me and we can talk about how to take back ownership of your health.

Jo Pate Logo
Jo Pate
jo@jopate.com
jopate.com