Whenever I talk to people about changing their diets, invariably there are a few foods that they can’t – or won’t — live without. They are not the same for everyone: for some it’s bread or pasta, others it’s an occasional favorite dessert, others it’s coffee or cheese or a glass of wine. And I always tell people that when you deny yourself something that you truly love you will end up eating more in the long run, trying to get that same satisfaction from other things. So enjoy your guilty pleasure (in small doses) and truly savor every bite or sip.
I always advocate the 80/20 rule: do they best you can 80% of the time to live and eat well and then don’t stress about the other 20%. Hey if you can get above 80%, even better… but the important point is to focus on that and not the times when you can’t or choose not to eat well.
But for those looking to get to that 80% mark and needing some help to indulge less, another strategy you can use is to make more good choices and ‘crowd out’ some of your bad – or less good — ones. When you start eating more vegetables and fiber, you feel fuller and experience fewer cravings from sugar withdrawals: suddenly that dessert craving is less noticeable. Or when you eat a balanced breakfast and lunch, you will find you don’t need that 3pm caffeine or sugar rush to get more energy.
You can make great progress in changing your diet not by depriving yourself or taking everything you love away, but rather by turning it around into a strategy of adding more good things like water, vegetables, or grains. Or eating balanced meals with healthy fat, protein and fiber rich complex carbohydrates (vegetables and whole grains) at every meal. Over time, you’ll find you want and need less of the things you know are not so good for you and they can turn into an occasional treat to be thoroughly enjoyed and fully appreciated as a special event.
To your wellness and health: your true wealth!
Inger Pols
Author: Inger Pols is the Editor of the New England Health Advisory and Author/Creator, Finally Make It Happen, the proven process to get what you want. Get a free special report on The Truth About Sugar: It’s Not All Equal at www.IngerPols.com
Photo Source: Microsoft Clip Art
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