How to Stick to Eating Healthy

Healthy eating can change your life. It can increase your energy, reduce the risks of heart problems, as well as help with relieving countless conditions and illnesses. Yet despite the many benefits experienced from healthy eating, many fall back into old eating habits after a short time. There are a variety of reasons for this, from time management, the inability to have meals prepared in advance to emotional dependency, an inability to cope with food cravings. Having a routine and plan in place can help you stick to a healthy eating plan.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Plan your diet. The best diet involves a high fiber, high protein breakfast such as eggs or high fiber cereal with nuts. Lunch should be a healthy sandwich or salad that contains protein such as skinless chicken, tuna, salmon eggs or tofu in whole grain bread with salad, or if you opt for the salad use an olive oil and vinegar dressing. Dinner should include protein again with vegetables. Three snacks a day is also a good idea. One between breakfast and lunch, one between lunch and dinner and one after dinner. Ideally, snacks should consist of a piece of fruit or vegetables or a handful of nuts.

2. Stock your kitchen with all the healthy foods your diet will consist of. Throw away anything in your kitchen that is not part of your healthy eating plan.

3. Have food containers and zip lock bags in your kitchen, in case you need to eat away from home. Bring your meals to work with you in your food containers and bring your healthy snacks with you in zip lock bags.

4. Drink eight to 10 cups of water a day. This will fill you up. It is especially helpful to drink two cups of water with each meal--this will help you feel full so you feel satisfied with your meals and it will also assist with digestion.

5. Include multivitamins, chromium and an omega-3 supplement to your daily routine. The multivitamins will give the body what it needs, reducing cravings. The chromium will assist in balancing blood sugar levels. The omega 3, when taken everyday, after three weeks, will start to increase your energy levels, and help your concentration and overall health.

6. Be aware that food cravings are emotional, not physical. The body does not "need" pizza or sweets, it is purely psychological and this need can be filled with another activity that is enjoyable. Sleep, going for a walk, reading, writing, going on the Internet or any creative activity can be used to replace the habit.

7. Plan your meals at least one day in advance. If you are going to be out of the house during a meal time, or during the time you need to cook, make your meal the night before and store it in a container to bring with you or keep in the fridge for the next next day. This way you won't be tempted to opt for quicker meals, rather than healthier meals.

8. Eat a healthy breakfast to set the base for your whole day. When you miss breakfast you are left craving food for the rest of the day, in particular at night which is the worst time to be eating, as the body has trouble having a restful sleep when it is busy digesting food. The best breakfasts are high fiber cereals that are low in sugar. Check the nutritional content on the side of the box and aim for a cereal with at least 3 to 5 grams of fiber. Raw oats release energy over an extended period and are perfect for breakfast mixed with nuts for protein and bran for fiber. Eggs are high in protein and energy and also make a good breakfast when cooked in healthier oils, such as sunflower oil.

Tips & Warnings

• Cook with olive, sunflower or canola oil. If you follow a healthy eating plan and drink sufficient amounts of water daily, your tastes in food will change and, within a short time, harmful foods will repel you while healthy foods will attract you. Healthy eating will become second nature.