Stop blaming yourself for not eating the way you know you should; understand the reasons for your choices so you can follow some easy healthy eating tips.

Think before you chew: Awareness of the reasons for your hunger encourages healthy eating habits.

RODALE NEWS, LENOX, MA—If you’re a regular visitor to Rodale.com, I’ll bet you know a lot about healthy eating. For instance, you probably know the importance of eating meals that combine protein (lean meat and fish, nuts, soy, and dairy) and complex carbs (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) to maintain consistent blood sugar levels. Your body turns carbohydrates into glucose, which is the fuel that powers your muscles—and your brain. Did you know that your brain works best with about 25 grams of glucose circulating in your bloodstream? That's approximately the amount found in a single banana. When your blood sugar is stable thanks to healthy eating, you feel relaxed and energetic and think clearly. When you eat too much sugar and refined carbohydrates (such as bread, pasta, pastry, and pizza made from white flour) your blood sugar spikes and then crashes, leaving you feeling tired, irritable, and mentally foggy an hour or two later. A healthy snack at mid-morning and mid-afternoon, made up of whole foods such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, or yogurt, helps your blood sugar and energy levels stay stable.

If you’re like most of the people I work with, you’re familiar with this information, and you know these strategies for health eating. But you don’t always follow them.

THE DETAILS:After decades of scientific research about, and public awareness of, the importance of a healthy diet, obesity levels are higher than ever. So maybe the problem isn't that we don't understand the connection between food and health. Maybe it's that translating the understanding into action is harder than we realize. In his book The End of Overeating, published this year by Rodale Inc., physician and former FDA director David Kessler, MD, described how the strategies of food marketers, restaurants, and supermarkets stack the deck against our attempts to eat sensibly. And we all know that when we’re busy, it can be tough to take time to combine healthy protein and carbs. Readily available junk food can be hard to resist. When you’re walking by a plate of brownies in the staff break room, you might be seduced to indulge, even though you’re not really hungry.

And that's on a good day. When you’re stressed, you may eat something to feel better immediately, even knowing you may feel worse an hour later. Emotional eating can lead you to eat unhealthy foods and excessive portions. You might reach for comfort food when you’re feeling anxious, frustrated, angry, or bored. In a moment of loneliness, you might even invite your friends Ben and Jerry over for a pint of Chunky Monkey ice cream!