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!
WHAT IT MEANS: Our decisions about food are seldom the result of careful deliberation about nutrition research and a thoughtful analysis of our disease risk factors. There are many internal and external factors that influence our food choices, some we're not even aware of. That's not an excuse to give up our responsibility to safeguard our own wellness through healthy eating habits. But it does imply that we may be too quick to blame unhealthy eating on a lack of willpower, ignorance of basic nutritional principles, or lack of concern about our own health. And all this should be a cue to pay closer attention to choices we make, and to learn specific skills and strategies that will counteract the unhealthy influences that are all around us. Below are some healthy eating tips that help you become aware of why you eat the way you do.
• Cultivate body awareness. One of the best ways to shift into healthy eating habits is by paying close attention to how your body feels before, during, and after you eat. Notice how specific foods make you feel an hour or two after you eat them. Do you feel clear and energetic, or foggy and tired? Do you feel light and buoyant, or heavy and bloated? Remind yourself of these feelings to help yourself make healthier food choices in the future.
• Practice mindful eating. Another powerful way to transform your relationship with food is by practicing mindful eating, an easy application of mindfulness techniques. Mindful eating simply means slowing down and paying full attention to what you eat. Focus on the food and the sensations it produces: the textures, the flavors, the aromas, even the shape and color of the food on the plate. Don't read, watch TV, or surf the Net—just eat. By eating slowly and savoring each mouthful, you experience more pleasure from each bite and will need less food to feel satisfied.
• Control between-meal eating. If you feel an urge to eat between meals, take a slow, smooth, deep breath to help you pause and check in with yourself. Notice the sensation you are feeling in your body, and ask yourself if it is really physiological hunger. If it’s not, tune in to the feeling, identify what it is, and then take steps to address it.
For example, if you’re angry, try to pinpoint what you are angry about come up with a first step towards addressing the problem. If you’re tired, take a rest. If you’re lonely, reach out to someone to talk to. If you are restless or bored, do something active like taking a walk or completing a household chore. In a study by Robert Thayer, PhD, subjects in a weight loss program who were instructed to go for a short walk when they felt like eating between meals lost significantly more weight than their counterparts who did not receive the walking recommendation.
And if the sensation you are feeling is genuine hunger, choose a healthy snack and eat it mindfully. Give yourself the pleasure of enjoying the taste of the food as you eat it. And welcome the enduring energy, clarity, and well-being that comes from eating in harmony with what is natural for your body.