Why we choose the foods we choose? The answer is quite complex, our food choices are associated with cultural, ethnic and family roots.
Why Do We Eat ?
One of the most obvious reasons why we eat is to provide the necessary nutrients and energy to our bodies to survive. However, we eat for a multitude reasons beyond just satisfying our hunger.
People also eat for social and cultural reasons. Sharing a meal with others is a great way to bond and form connections. It’s a way to celebrate cultural traditions, holidays, and special occasions.
Food can also be used as a form of comfort or emotional support. Many people turn to food when they are feeling stressed, anxious or sad. This is because certain foods can activate pleasure centers in the brain and release feel-good hormones.
Overall, the reasons people eat are varied and complex. While the primary reason is to provide the body with necessary nutrients, food can also serve as a social, cultural, and emotional comfort.
Culture
Where you come from has a lot to do with your eating habits, your ancestory plays a vital role in your food choices.
It makes me think of people from India who eat lentil patties for breakfast. Some Indian people, depend on lentils as it is their only protein source and eating lentils for breakfast is normal.
Asian people on the other hand may mainly eat seafood, rice and seaweed or at other parts of Asia all of their protein may come from fermented soy.
Acquired Taste
Ever since you were a child you started building your pallet, your taste and your food preferences, the things your mother gave you predetermined the foods that you would like today.
We have developed our food preferences mostly based on what we ate when we were young. In other words, if your parents fed you pizza, burgers and fried when you were a child, the likelihood of you picking these foods in adulthood are quire high.
Lifestyle
We all live in busy, fast- paced environment, the busier we are the more likely we would opt for convenience. Unfortunately in the western world convenience sometimes means unhealthy fast food. Does having a successful career and personal live mean we need to sacrifice on our health ? Turns out it is all about our priorities.
Priorities
How important is nutrition for you ? The significance of nutrition can change for you based on your experiences, socioeconomic environment, your health and your goals. Ask yourself how important is nutrition for you ? Would you like to make nutrition a higher priority?
Emotions
Emotions or changes in emotional state drive us to make different foods choices. You all know that we seek comfort, reward, relaxation, joy, and distraction at times and often we use food as our primary tool. However, does your mind and body seek food when you are bored, or does it ask for something else? If it is something else you need why are your providing food ? That is the reason why emotional eating is also never enough; the portion is never large enough, it seems the more eat eat these chips when you are frustrated the more you want.
Is it possible to change your diet?
Yes, it is. But going on a diet and then off the diet is never the right approach. Changing your eating habits is a process that takes time, no matter the approach.
Why people usually change their lifestyle and eating habits?
- Necessity
When there is no other way. When your health is seriously threatened by a debilitating disease.
- Reward
You want to fit into your skinny jeans.
How to change your eating habits. Where to start?
- Build awareness that sustainable lifestyle changes take time.
- Know that the process is long and challenging.
- It will take you outside your comfort zone.
- requires persistence and perseverance, but you will be in control of your own journey.
- Know that results and comfort cannot co-exist.
- Know that there is no perfection when it comes to eating. The perfect eater does not exist.
- Know that setting a small goal for yourself is the best way to start.
Start with one small goal for yourself. Choose from the following that may apply to you:
- Now you can develop your small goal here are some examples:
- Stop eating after ___ pm (example 6, 7, 8 pm)
- Allow for 13 to 16 hrs. fast between the last meal / snack at night and the first meal in the morning.
- Avoid snacking between meals
- Drink a glass of water before you reach for a snack and then wait for 20 – 30 min to have the snack (try not to have the snack)
- Wait for 3 hrs. between each meal
- Eat vegetables with each meal or at least with one meal per day
- Write down the reason why you snack before you snack (ask yourself if you are truly hunger)
- Start researching recipes of what to eat for dinner.
- Be aware and honest with yourself why you eat snacks and how you felt.
- Keep a journal of your snacks and the reason why you snack
- Go shopping of the week on the weekend
- Write down everting you eat for one, two, thee days, review and assess
- Decrease soda or chips for a week to once per week
- Decrease eating out to once per week
- Create a goal for your- self
When the small goal is achieved then you move on to another small goal that you will again choose for yourself.