13 Easy Actions You Can Take to Be Healthier

As more and more and more studies make the connection between poor nutrition, lifestyle habits and chronic illness, a new consciousness has arisen in mainstream medicine aiming at reversing chronic illness with a healthy lifestyle. This is now known as lifestyle medicine. Just like smoking cessation decreased the number of deaths from lung cancer, we can hope that with adopting a healthy lifestyle and diet, particularly a plant-based diet as more and more studies show the benefit of a plant-based diet, to see a decrease in type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and liver disease.

As this message is spreading through society, people are making attempts to change their diet and lifestyle on their own. Many fail and go back to their old habits.

I want to let you know that your failure is not out of weakness or lack of will. It is difficult to overcome the addictive nature of foods with a high content of sugar, fat or chemical food enhancers without a method. Not only have processed foods been made to be addictive, but it’s also found everywhere. In contrast healthy foods have to be sought out.

In this article I would like to contribute a few thoughts to your strategy for better success. Achieving small wins is important for positive reinforcement to keep you motivated.

Not all unhealthy food need to be eliminated at once. You may focus on meat or cheese or bread and cookies and pizzas or sugary foods, depending on what you indulge in the most or whichever is the biggest problem for your health.

Here are 13 easy actions you can take to be successful at changing your diet:

1. Clean your pantry, freezer and refrigerator of the foods you are not going to eat. Get rid of candies, white sugar, cookies, pastries, ice-cream, anything with fructose corn syrup.
2. Get support from your family or other people who live with you, to do the pantry clean-up with you.
3. Shopping: research new stores selling organic foods and go to farmers markets. Utilize online shopping resources like: Wise Choice Market, Thrive Market and Vital Choice.
4. Avoid bakeries or wineries or any areas tempting you to purchase items that you were addicted to.
5. Eliminate behaviors associated with a certain activities, like munching on chips when you’re watching TV and go for a walk instead.
6. Repeat positive statements to yourself: when the thought comes, “I want a hamburger” substitute that thought with, “I like vegetables and I can be nourished by vegetables. I like the feeling of lightness I get with vegetables”.
7. Make sure you have healthy food to eat, should you be hungry. Take some food with you to work. Prepare some food in advance so that you don’t have to cook while hungry and can enjoy cooking.
8. Take some cooking classes, learning how to prepare vegetables or raw food. Check out The Raw Chef’s online courses.
9. Change how you think about food, from a commodity to a creative activity, from cheap food to healthy foods.
10. If you are an emotional eater stop using food to avoid feeling and seek a therapist who will help you deal with your emotions in a proper way.
11. Eat at regular hours so that you feel the hunger and satiety cycle. Avoid eating late at night.
12. Do not snack, sit down to eat instead. Make sure you are relaxed and take time to enjoy your food. Be grateful for the bounty of the earth and all the people involved in bringing that food to your table.
13. ENJOY – you are not deprived, you are making the right choices, be proud of yourself.