The foods we eat play a huge role in our lives, way beyond any aesthetics factor. Somehow eating has become an automated and thoughtless task with many people carelessly consuming each and every day.
There are a handful of common eating habits that if you’re guilty of, you should correct immediately – or suffer the consequences later.
Avoid these top 10 bad eating habits to get on the fast track to a healthier life, fitter body and a much more satisfying eating experience.
Table of Contents
1) Binge Eating
Binging aka eating excessively large amounts of food in one sitting, is a common eating habit to avoid. It often leads to obesity, which then leads to other health issues.
If you tend to skip meals then eat a lot at the next meal to compensate or if you gorge yourself with junk food after a week of eating healthy your may be a habitual binger. You might want to consider eating several smaller meals a day so you can avoid binging.
2) Eating too Fast
When you thoroughly chew your food, you break it down and aid your digestion with its task. We secrete digestive enzymes while chewing which makes our stomachs job that much easier.
If you want to take in more nutrients and help shed a few extra pounds, slow down and chew your food.
3) Skipping Breakfast
Eating breakfast wakes up your metabolism and get’s your engine fired up for the day. If you’re mornings are hectic, try a simple bowl of oatmeal with some fresh berries and a scoop of maca root powder.
We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but many of us still keep a habit of skipping it. Rushing off to work or getting the kids ready for school, can make it easy to neglect breakfast.
Just keep in mind that doing so not only drains your energy, but makes much more likely that you’ll snack (on junk because it’s convenient) throughout the day.
4) Eating Emotionally
Emotional eating, or stress eating, is another unhealthy habit that you should avoid. This occurs when you deal with certain emotions by eating even though you’re not hungry. Perhaps you munch on candy bars when you’re stressed about a deadline, or maybe you indulge in a couple extra deserts when you’re depressed.
If you’re like most emotional eaters, then you likely make a “b-line” to the unhealthy junk food in order to cope with your emotions. To solve this, try to find another channel for your stress and negative emotions. Take up a hobby like hiking, writing, meditation or spend quality time with friends.
5) Not Eating Fruits and Veggies
Healthy diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases.
Fruits and veggies provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other substances that are important for great health.
Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and are filling. Fibrous sources of protein, unlike meat protein, offer additional enzymes and roughage to help your digestion.
6) Storing Food Improperly
Food should be eaten fresh. If you can’t eat all of it fresh or that’s simply not a feasible option for you or your family, make sure you store your food in glass, air-tight containers at a temperature below 40°F/4°C
7) Eating Processed Food
Real, whole, unprocessed food is almost always healthy, regardless of the grams of carbs, protein or fat it contains. Quite frankly, real whole foods with minimal processing, contain a smorgasbord of nutrients; Enzymes, phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, anti-inflammatories and healthy fats that can easily keep you thriving well into your later years.
8) Multitasking While Eating
If you eat while watching TV, working, reading or even while cooking then you’re also developing an unhealthy eating habit.
When you eat while doing other activities, you lost sight of how much you actually eat. This results in “accidental” overeating. Try to stick to a specific schedule and have a designated place exclusively for eating. For instance, you can make sure that you only eat in the kitchen and not in front of the TV.
9) Drinking with meals
Not drinking with meals actually aids our digestion because we’re not diluting the digestive acids in our stomach. Wait about an hour before you drink after a meal. If this is hard for you, the trick is to stay hydrated leading up to your meals.
10) Not having a Set Eating Schedule
Having set eating times are important because it teaches your body to expect food and primes your metabolism and digestion for their respective roles in the breakdown and absorption of nutrients.
These are the top 10 eating habits to avoid if good health is your goal. Remember, everything you eat should have substantial nutritional value. You want the most nutritional bang for your buck; Everything you eat should serve a nutritional purpose in your body like fueling your workout or optimizing your energy levels.
Health by choice, not by chance.
-David Aston
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