Eat This and Live

Part 2 ½

            Have you ever wondered why the feeling of a cookie melting in your mouth makes you feel all warm inside?  Or how at certain times the only thing that will satisfy your hunger is a slice of meat-lover’s deep dish pizza?  The list of reasons for eating dead foods is endless.  Here are five of the most common reasons:

You enjoy the foods that are familiar to you.  If you grew up eating unhealthy food you will carry those habits throughout your life.

Healthy fast food choices are few and far between and those that claim to have healthy choices usually DON’T.

Once you devour that chocolate cupcake and the sugar rush wears off, you need another sugary pick-me-up to raise your blood-sugar levels.

Pregnancy, PMS, Menopause, Chocolate; need I say more.

When we are stressed, depressed, anxious, or low in serotonin, norepinephrine, or dopamine we reach for foods to boost these feel-good chemicals.  Too bad these pick-me-up foods are usually dead foods.

The big question is how do we control these urges and break our habits?  One of the simplest ways to create better eating habits is to leave the dead foods at the grocery store.  You can’t eat it if you don’t buy it.  We all get cravings, so you need to plan ahead.  Keep healthy snack foods like fruits and nuts with you at all times.  Additionally, keep water handy.  This may prevent you from reaching for a soda to quench your thirst; and just because it says “diet,” doesn’t mean it’s good for you.  We also need to make sure we eat three balanced, portion conscious meals throughout the day.  Eating smaller meals will help stabilize your blood sugar, curb your hunger cravings, and keep you on the path to a healthier you.