Healthy Eating? Yes You Can - Just Decide to Make a Plan!

Healthy eating can keep you physically thin, mentally sharp and
brimming with more energy than a caffeine-overdosed energizer bunny.
But... There aren't many people who do it consistently...even though
they want to. Okay, so if everyone wants to eat healthy, how come
we're all doing such a lousy job of it? It's because we eat without
really thinking about it. Everyone does it. Snacking on chips as we
talk with friends, taking a bite of fresh sliced tomato off the
cutting board, finishing the potatoes just because they're on our
plate. "Mindless eating" happens because we eat things without
consciously deciding whether we should. Exactly what you eat is the
goal of billions of dollars in marketing, and mostly what's marketed
is not good food.Are you susceptible? Of course! You're subjected
hundreds of times a day to TV and radio, billboards, print ads and
restaurant signs convincing you to eat food you really don't want to.
It's in the shows and movies we watch, it's posted to our Facebook
pages. We exchange it in games we play. "Here, have a burger. Your
friend sent you candy. A Yummy cupcake. You'll love this
frapa-capa-lapa-chino."You don't have to pay attention or believe what
you're being told for it to worm its way into your subconscious.
People are spending money to tell you what you like because it works
for them.Temptation can sometimes intrude...To tempt you away from
healthy foodAlso, you're faced with "Eat this!" cues all the time
you're around people. When do you get together with your friends when
someone ISN'T holding a Starbucks cup or sipping on a Big Gulp. Then
someone's offering everyone breath mints. The message that you should
be eating something that's not good for you is everywhere.You know
what the risks are from eating badly: obesity, cancer, heart disease,
diabetes, mental confusion, mood disorders... and every day it seems
like more illnesses are linked to unhealthy eating. How you eat -
clearly it's a matter of life and death.What's the answer? The
techniques that people use to convince you to prefer bad food, you can
use on yourself. And that way you will come to prefer healthy food,
healthy recipes and healthy snacks. You already know these methods
work - they are the reason you're eating food you don't want to be
eating.Look, you're not going to make a permanent change in the way
you eat if it requires you to give up what you like most and to
scrutinize what you eat every time you eat - or worse yet to measure,
or look up, or record... Come on! Let's be real! In the long run, if
you don't enjoy doing something you won't do it. Liking healthy food
is the only thing that will work forever.What is this healthy eating
thing going to get you? Well for starters, a longer, healthier more
productive life. In some cases, you can relieve symptoms from long
term illness or even AVOID CHRONIC ILLNESS by eating well. You can
have more energy to do the things you want to do. You can get closer
to your body's ideal weight. You can be more active, more positive,
and more dependable. You can be there to support the ones who need
you, to play with your grandkids, to enjoy your retirement.A healthy
diet will help you find...That most elusive peace of mindAnd beyond
physical health that eating healthfully will bring you, there's a huge
psychological benefit. That's because you will see every day how you
overcame something that at one time seemed difficult or impossible.
You'll have a daily infusion of self-confidence from recognizing your
own ability to set goals and achieve them. You'll come to appreciate
just how potent you are.Maybe you've given up on ever finding a diet
that will work for you. I want you to know that you can make a change
starting today that can help you eat move to a healthy diet
permanently. So whether you want a healthy eating plan for losing
weight or just for your long term health, it's something you can do.We
need to counteract the deluge of bad eating cues that we are bombarded
with and replace them with our own internal cues to eat well. It's
easier to eat the things you like. So choosing to like good food makes
it easier to eat good food. And the situations and techniques that got
you into the habit of eating badly are going to be the ones to bring
you back to healthful eating.You don't need to become an expert on
nutrition. You don't have to exert enormous willpower. Here's a place
to start. Decide what your favorite leafy green vegetable is, the
favorite way you like carrots prepared, and your favorite kind of
salad. Be really specific, visualize them, and write them down."I'll
take my broccoli lightly steamed with lemon and butter."
"I can't resist shredded carrots with orange blossom flavoring"
"I like a spinach salad with dried cranberries and feta cheese."
By naming your favorites, it's going to make it easier to choose them
when you see them on a menu or when you see them in a grocery store.
It's the same idea the fast food marketers use against your interest -
to make you think, "Gotta have that!" Only now, your "Gotta haves,"
can be good for you.Go ahead. Decide what your favorites are. If you
just do it, you'll surprise yourself at how big an effect such a
seemingly simple thing can do to help you to eat healthy.