How to Start Eating Healthier
Hey Empyreans, Carl here and today I wanted to share with you THREE mind tricks that can get you to start eating healthier.
Now I'm not going to sit here and tell you to eat your fruits and vegetables because eating healthier is more than the foods you eat. It's the way you "think" of food and then eating with the intention to:
- Fuel Your Body
- Boost Your Metabolism
- Satisfy Your Palate
First and foremost, food is FUEL - not a fattening agent. Food fuels your body so that you can move, think and most importantly, stay alive! This is very similar to how a car needs gasoline in order to start the engine and continuously run. When you begin to see food as fuel, you'll have a better understanding of what foods you really should be eating to energize your daily routine.
For example, a professional Strongman who trains five - seven times a week and carries loads excessing over 500 pounds per training session should be eating (or fueling) all day and night...which they do...eat all day and night.
The problem in modern society is that we're eating like professional Strongmen, drinking like college students and moving/living like sloths. When you begin to look at food as fuel for your daily routine, that's when you begin to understand what foods you should be eating, when you should have them and how much you consume at a time.
Next, "If I eat less, I will lose more!" is one of the biggest misconceptions in fitness and nutrition. In our country, we glorify fashion models that look like "Barbies" thinking this is what true fitness success looks like but in reality, that is what malnourishment looks like. Not only will you develop a resentful relationship with food but you will be fat, tired and unhappy.
Depriving your body of food in attempts to lose body fat (or weight) is a common mistake many people make. When we skip meals, we lose our appetite (the natural desire to eat) and only feel "hungry" when we're absolutely starving. This leads to uncontrolled food binging, feelings of resent towards food, increased stress levels, a slower metabolism, digestion problems and accelerated fat gain.
Our metabolism naturally declines with age and when you're on "the starvation diet", not only will you gain fat faster but it will be nearly impossible to burn that fat UNLESS you change your eating habits and patterns.
Lastly, let's be honest, food is the best when it LOOKS good, SMELLS good and most importantly TASTES good. Being "food enthusiasts" here in in this country, these factors are very important to us. Most people have the perception that healthy food doesn't taste as good as the "real thing" but this all could've been caused by an unpleasant eating experience in attempts to eating healthier in the past.
For example, if a celery sticks were dumped on a plate and someone told me I had to eat them because I needed to be healthier, I would hate it - borderline mad. Celery tastes fine but it was the eating experience and presentation that made it dull, boring and ultimately unappetizing to eat.
When you begin to eat healthier, keep eating the foods you love but try to find a healthier and creative way to cook and present them so your eating experience feels, smells and tastes the same as if you had the "real thing". Try substituting Romaine Lettuce for taco shells, stuffing meats with vegetables and cheese or substituting cauliflower in recipes that call for potatoes.
When you begin to approach healthy eating this way, not only will you lose body fat, boost your metabolism, energize your body and enjoy your eating experience but now you can eat more of these foods guilt-free! - and isn't that what we all signed up for?! #foodislife
If you're really looking to change this habit in 2018, it all starts with your how you "think" and "feel" about food. Thank you all for taking the time to read this, talk soon!
- Carl Anthony Grande
