Clearly, something is out of whack with what we’re eating. But even more important that what you consume may be how you’re eating. If you’re consuming food in a way that stimulates overeating, or you don’t take time to properly prepare nutritious food, you may be contributing to your own decline in health.

Sure, no one can eat properly all the time. But given the potentially serious effects of eating poorly – weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression and other disorders – then it’s worth your time to take stock of what you’re eating and how you’re eating it. A few simple corrections in your bad habits may be all it takes to get you and your family back on the right path.

FIVE BAD EATING HABITS

Here are a few suggestions that can help eliminate the bad eating habits that may contribute to overweight lifestyles and their associated problems. The good news is that most involve little effort beyond a conscious choice to do better and live healthier.

1.    Stop eating out so much.  We live in a world where immediate needs can be easily gratified by the wide variety of dining-out options available. From fast food to sit-down restaurants, virtually all of the world’s cuisines are available in most neighborhoods. The problem is that many of the options contain too much fat, sugar and salt, and the portion sizes may be much larger than many of us can consume at a single sitting, which encourages over-eating.

Try to limit your out-of-home meals to two to three per week, and choose wisely when you do dine out. Remember, having a salad and slathering it with blue cheese dressing, or eating a container full of bread before the entrée arrives is good for only one thing – the bottom line of the restaurant. Be aware of the tactics and exercise caution when making your choices.