Be The Habit

Buddha couldn’t have said it better, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” This also pertains to our bodies. BE the change you wish to see in your body! The most serving, yet, detrimental component to all of change is habit.

We have choices— to create healthy, positive, and beneficial habits, or the complete opposite. When it comes to eating, we need to practice whatever it takes to make healthy choices. Our bodies crave carbohydrates the more hungry we get! Carbohydrates provide energy and regulates blood glucose, it spares the use of proteins for energy, it breaks down fatty acids and prevents ketosis. That explains why we always crave carbs, right? Well, the habit we need to invest in is choosing the healthiest kind of carbs which are complex carbs: whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables. They keep you healthy by providing you with vitamins, minerals, fiber and many other nutrients.

Which brings me to the golden habit— The first thing I tell anyone who wants advice to stay on the right track is to MEAL PREP! There’s nothing better than having pre-made meals ready to eat. The holy grail of good habits!

Another smart tip is to always travel with satisfying snacks! Protein, complex carbs, or good-fat on hand is important so we don’t slide down that slippery slope. There’s nothing like starving yourself on accident and ruining your dedication by eating something unworthy.

There are a few reasons why we mindlessly eat when we do. Some people are emotional eaters, stress eaters, boredom eaters, live to eat eaters, eat to live eaters, anxious eaters, etc. Sometimes we are all of those eaters at different times in our lives. I, personally, am a live to eat type of gal! I mostly crave pasta and salty foods— and when I do, I reach for healthier options like a handful of grain-free chips made by Siete (so good!), Mary’s crackers dipped in hummus, or raw nuts to satisfy the salty-crunch cravings. When I’m craving sweets I usually eat a spoonful of peanut butter or almond butter, or hot decaf coffee with almond milk, honey and cinnamon.

Once we are able to recognize why we are eating, then we are able to choose the best options. For example, eating our emotions is a very common habit because there are a plethora of emotions out there! Once we’re able to recognize we’re eating out of comfort due to sadness or stress then we’re better able to choose a healthier option since we would really prefer to eat a box of cookies or a tub of ice cream…Or, a home wrecker burrito with queso!

What gives us that same ‘feel good’ feeling after eating something healthy?

• Complex-carbohydrates..
• Berries: help with sugar cravings..
• Protein: fulfilling and a better choice over simple carbohydrates when battling bad habits.
• Good fats: avocado, sweet potato, nuts, whole eggs, greek yogurt..

Last but not least, drink lots of water! Our bodies sometimes trick us into believing we are hungry when we really are thirsty. There are so many things you can do to create healthy habits, these are just some of mine. It takes 21 days to form any habit—practice makes change!

Buddha also said, “Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.”

Namaste!