Add in the usual tumult of daily living – school, work, activities, commuting, shopping, electronic stimulation – and it’s not a surprise that we’re incredibly stressed and over-scheduled. Higher, faster, stronger may be the Olympics motto, but it’s also the way many of us live our lives. Every second is filled.
Given all of that, it’s no surprise that our eating habits match our daily routine. Grab and gobble has replaced leisurely and socially dining to a great degree, so much so that our national nutrition and health is being severely affected to a great degree.
Of course, that assumes you can even easily access food and can afford to purchase a majority of your choices in natural and unprocessed selections. The United States Dept. of Agriculture reports that 14.5% of households experienced food insecurity at some point in 2012, the last year statistics are available. Seniors, children and the extremely poor are vulnerable, having to rely on food choices that may not be the best.
THE GRIM OBESITY TOTALS
The Center for Disease Control reports that 35.1% of adults over age 20 are obese, with 69% overweight (a total that includes the obese). Adolescents age 12-19 years finds 20.5% obese, with children 6-11 years old totaling 17.7% obese. Even children 2-5 years of age have 8.4% of the population registering as obese.
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.
2. Plan your meals. Yes, circumstances change during the week, and it may not be possible to live up to a schedule made in advance. But outlining your goals for weekly food consumption serves a few purposes – it helps your budget, makes you aware of your potential calorie consumption and sets up a schedule where you can better plan your time. You plan your work, school activities and other important tasks. Why leave such a vital decision as your food consumption to last-minute activity or chance?
3. Cut back on processed foods. It’s not easy to avoid every bit of processed food in your life, particularly if your schedule makes it hard to expansively cook. But not having crackers, cookies, sugar-laden canned sauces and fatty pre-packaged food easily available can lead to better choices, and stops you from merely reaching out and consuming because it’s within reach. This is part of meal-planning – take some time to decide how long it will take to prepare an alternative to canned, frozen or pre-packaged. You may be surprised at how much of a difference just a few minutes of focus can bring.
4. Distracted eating. Yes, multi-tasking is a wonderful thing, and may be necessary in a world filled with endless “to-do” lists and little time to relax. But watching television, fiddling with your computer or smart phone, or talking on the telephone while eating takes your focus off the amount of food you’re eating. It’s also a perfect opportunity for family time, that increasingly rare bird that never seems to alight on your kitchen table. When planning a meal, try to incorporate at least a few times when everyone in your household might be able to join together and spend the 20 minutes it takes for most meals to enjoy each other’s company.
5. Watch what you drink. It’s easy to forget that your choice of beverage with your meal can add considerably to the calories being consumed. A few glasses of wine, a sugary soda or juice, even glasses of milk can add up to as much as 500 extra calories per meal. Make water or black coffee your beverage of choice during most meal times as a way to improve your nutrition. It will go a long way to cutting back on the amount of empty and mindless calories consumed at a sitting.
The list is admittedly no magic cure for bad eating habits. But being aware of the potential pitfalls and taking some pro-active steps can work wonders toward a better lifestyle. Try it for a few weeks and you’ll probably see a marked difference in your health and family life.