Healthy Eating Habits For Life

If you establish healthy eating habits early on in your life then you should be able to maintain them easily as you proceed further in your life’s journey. For example, it is important that you learn to manage your metabolism.

Managing Your Metabolic Level

If you eat properly then this will keep your energy level at an all high which will lead to the development of lean muscle. Having lean muscle can in turn make it possible for you to manage your metabolism adequately. This is a factor that becomes even more significant as you age. For example, the average adult loses approximately 10 percent of their lean muscle every 10 years. In the same way, the level of metabolism slows down by approximately 10 percent unless the action can be brought to a halt.

To continue to build lean muscle you need to eat as smart as possible. One way to do this is to eat small meals or mini meals every two to three hours. Not only will you build lean muscle this way but you will also be able to manage your caloric expenditure. Just make sure that you are eating healthy foods that are rich in nutrients.

Mental Mindset Towards Food

Are you aware of your attitudes, feelings and behaviors as they relate to food? Eating is not just about supplying your body with what it needs but it is closely tied in with emotions. When you are contemplating eating ask yourself what the motivating factor is for your desire. Is it meal time and are you really hungry or are you bored, tired, angry, sad or stressed out? Knowing what emotions (if any) underlie your desire to eat can count for a great deal.

As a rule of thumb, eat only when you are hungry but do not wait until you are ravenous. If you do the latter then you are more likely to eat too much and you are also more likely to eat foods that are unhealthy because you are giving into your cravings instead of eating responsibly.

Keeping a food journal is one way to keep track of your eating habits and the triggers that prompt you to want to eat. A food journal will make it possible for you to clearly see how many calories you are taking in as most people vastly underestimate their caloric intake. It will also help you pinpoint what you need to eat more of and what you need to eat less of.

Drink Plenty of Water

Another healthy eating habit of life is not about food at all but instead is about water. Water is Mother Nature’s cocktail and it is an essential nutrient that the body needs each and every day. Consume at least eight to ten 8-ounce glasses of water per day. It is estimated that 20 percent of the water a person requires on a daily basis comes from the food they consume. But that is not nearly enough. Drink water as often as you can. Tout a water bottle with you to work, keep one in your car and always have one in your purse or bag.