What we eat — and how we eat — affects so many aspects of our lives. What
we eat affects not just how we look but how we feel and how we act. Our food
alone is sufficient to make our day, one of brilliant accomplishment or one of
productive mess.
If you eat too much of the wrong stuff, you will
consequently feel tired, less agile in your movement and less productive in
your craft. One the other hand, if you eat right — nutritious but simple
moderately sized meal — you will feel fine, energetic and strong. You are
likely to be more productive in your business, all day long.
Since habit–good habit formation and bad habit correction — is
the focus of this blog, together, we will examine some refine thoughts on what
it means to eat right — and to eat wrong.
And also, explore some strategies on how we can make new choices to build
better habits with regards whatever tarries in our stomach.
Some eating behaviours are harmful and wrong because the
purpose of food is not to harm but to benefit the body, physically and
mentally. Though, I am not here to explore in depth, the different types of wrongful eating, I feel the
need to briefly point out the most common and dangerous patterns of eating in
this short article.
BULIMIA NERVOSA
Bulimia nervosa is the term for a eating a huge quantity of
food in one sitting. This is called bingeing. Some people can take it to the
very extreme of eating to sickness. That is, immediately falling sick as a
result of eating too much at once. This definitely should not become a habit
because of the serious consequences that can emerge.
ANOREXIA NERVOSA
However, the exact opposite of Bulimia is Anorexia Nervosa.
It is deliberate refusal to eat moderately sufficient food for the needed
energy and nutrition to stay physically healthy. This means eating too little
in terms of reasonable quantity and nutritious quality. This too is unhealthy
as it will result in weakness and lack of strength for important daily
activities.
BINGE EATING DISORDER
Binge Eating Disorder is the third in the category. It is an
extended version of Bulimia Nervosa. It is otherwise known as compulsive eating
or food addiction. It is the result of an overwhelming feeling of always
wanting to eat. And since the size of the stomach is very small, this is
probably the worst eating habit of all — It can lead to breathlessness. Anyone with this form of behaviour absolutely
needs to change and such change can only happen with deliberate choice and
persistent effort.
PRACTICAL STEPS TO
EATING RIGHT
Even if we have not been very careful with regards to food
and eating, the following steps can serve as simple guides for us to start
making better choices which will lead to good eating behaviours and eventually,
the permanent habit of eating right all through life.
DELAY GRATIFICATION
To explain this, I will use the statement of Jack LaLanee,
the American fitness, exercise, and nutrition expert who is sometimes referred
to as the "Godfather of Fitness" and the "First Fitness
Superhero." He said:
“I eat three meals a day but NEVER between meals.”
The point I want to stress here is waiting. Wait until you
are hungry or, at least until your meal time before you gratify your taste buds.
Some days, the most important choice you make might be your refusal of the
temptation to grab the candy, chocolate or ice cream. This is true because a
perfectly productive day can take a sudden U-turn simply due to lack of self
control to delay gratification for anything in between your meals.
EAT LESS
“Studies over the years, on many different species of animals, have
confirmed that those animals that were fed less lived longest. In fact,
allowing an animal to eat as much food as it desires can reduce its life span
by as much as one-half.”― Joel Fuhrman
Joel Fuhrman, MD, is the author of the popular book, Eat To Live and
through is work many people are learning the correct ways to eat and live. Eating
less is obviously beneficial to human health. And the above facts from
different studies demonstrate some of the benefits. When you eat less, your
digestive system works efficiently and you have more energy as a result. The digestive
system consumes a lot of energy to process the food we eat. So, the more food we
eat, the more energy is consumed by the digestive system, leaving us with less
energy to work with.
EAT WELL
“When you eat mostly high-nutrient foods, the body ages slower and is
armed to prevent and reverse many common illnesses. The natural self-healing
and self-repairing ability that is hibernating in your body wakes up and takes
over, and diseases disappear. A nutrient-rich menu of green vegetables,
berries, beans, mushrooms, onions, seeds, and other natural foods is the key to
achieving optimal weight and health.”― Joel Fuhrman
This is perhaps the best part of all because it singularly summarizes
the entire concept of eating right. To eat right is to eat well. And it
basically means to eat balanced diet and to eat natural food items as opposed
to junk food, most of the time.
In order for us to be free of disease, strong and healthy, both
biologically and psychologically, we must continuously try to eat good amount
of healthy natural foods.
If we can exercise the discipline to delay gratification, learn the
manners of eating less than our stomach can handle, and understand the
importance of eating only what is best for our precious body, then the three
ills of eating earlier mentioned will never be an issue of concern for us.
Consequently, we can enjoy the rich rewards of sound health, not just of the
body but also, of the mind.
Finally, researchers have estimated that majority of us could live
well beyond 80 years of age with some simple lifestyle choices, among which,
eating right is a critical component. With this in mind, gaining complete
mastery over our appetite for food may well mean, gaining mastery over all
other parts of our lives. Therefore, good eating habit is a cornerstone for
fruitful and eventful life.