“One cannot think well, love well and sleep well if one has not dined well.”
–Virginia Woolf
This topic will resonate with most people. Do we eat to live or live to eat?
How can we maintain a healthy lifestyle through eating? As a person who loves to eat myself, I find it hard to resist good food and especially when there is great company to eat with… I tend to eat more. Therefore, I have been thinking about whether to write on this topic or not?
There are a lot of areas to discuss when it comes to this topic on eating… this time I will focus on eating healthy as part of our daily habits and if you have any ideas, please do share and write to me, thank you.
“The chief pleasure in eating does not consist in costly seasoning, or exquisite flavor, but in yourself.”
– Horace
I believe when it comes to eating, it boils down to making choices. It is definitely not easy as our emotions will be stronger than logic. We know we have to eat healthier food options, just that at times, the craving for not so healthy options will take over and we gave it to the craving. Then regretted for that action… who have not experienced that before?
Please find some sharing on how we can be more aware and to have better plus healthier options when it comes to eating…
It starts with WHY?
What is your compelling reason for eating healthy? Why do you want to eat healthy? First things first, it starts from within us. Who are you and what identity do you want have to embark in this journey of healthy eating?
How can it be done?
Everyone is unique and requires different calorie count per day (to lose or maintain weight). That means, you will need to do some research on your own lifestyle; what will your daily activities be and how much energy do you need to get through your day? How are you keeping track on the food that you are going to eat? What is your plan when it comes to your meals? How about rituals (drinking water, eating fruits before meals, etc.) and supplements (vitamins and minerals)? If you are cooking, how do you plan your menu… weekdays, weekends… special days.
What are some of the TIPS?
- Research on the types of food that is good for you
- Eat lots of vegetables (leafy ones) and fruits (I believe everything in moderation… haha)
- Eat more fish (brain food), of course fresh ones, oily ones (salmon, sardines, mackerel) and not so oily ones (tuna and local fishes)
- Cut down on sugar and salt intake (processed and non-processed ones as well) and especially processed food – biscuits, cakes, sausages, canned food, fizzy drinks, pastries, cereals
- Eat whole and fresh produce / food
- Get properly hydrated… drink that H2O and not get thirsty; water is a better option than sugary drinks even fruit juices!
- Have proper meals and not get hungry, snack healthily when necessary (as when we get hungry, we tend to over eat…)
- Check the nutrition label, learn how to read them
- Eat mindfully and be aware of what you put into your mouth (this is also a self reminder to me…)
- Just be flexible with yourself… at times we need to indulge and when we do… do it responsibly and mindfully…
Anyone who has just started will feel the difficulty to sustain as it is not going to be easy in the beginning. As what Jack Ma of Alibaba said…
“Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine.”
Let’s all start today and be rewarded tomorrow.
“Your habits, your future!”