From the time we are born our bodies require nourishment to survive. Some people can live without food for days, sometimes weeks. But after only one day without food the human body begins to prepare itself for starvation. Metabolism slows, blood sugar drops, and mental alertness declines. So it seems very obvious that food is a good, and necessary part of life. But for the millions of people who have eating disorders and very poor eating habits, food can be a great source of stress.
Eating habits are like other habits, they are learned by watching other people, or doing something consistently enough that the action becomes comfortable. Eating habits, combined with an individual’s taste, make up a person’s first eating style. To most people food is nourishment to survive, as well as a vital part of tradition and socialization. It also has it’s place in providing comfort and satisfaction.
When a person is healthy and thriving it can be assumed that they are eating a well balanced diet. The body shows its health from the inside out. On the flip side, someone who is not fueling their bodies with the nutrients it needs, will not look or feel as vibrant. The way we feel and look are two of the first clues to the quality of our diet. People who were raised to eat foods with very little nutritional value, or have taken on distorted ideas of how much food should be consumed during one sitting, usually cannot go on for long without getting messages from their bodies to change. We all know when we don’t feel at our best. But for those who are so used to feeling bad, or have never felt as good as possible, it can be quite some time before they realize that something is wrong. The red flag that finally gets people’s attention is usually a health crisis. It can also be something as simple as the person wanting to do something and not being able to because of their weight, stamina, or energy level.
A vital key to a person’s commitment to change is their realization that they will not get something they want if they don’t. Humans are known to take great delight in having their desires met. The commitment to healthy eating has to be viewed as a life long commitment. It cannot be seen as a means to a temporary end, such as dieting. Dieting, is the adjustment of eating habits, in order to lose weight. In some people’s cases, losing weight is necessary, but it can be expected, that at some point, the weight loss has to stop. Creating eating habits solely around losing weight would be a plan that kind of ends in the middle. There is life after reaching the ideal weight, and if there isn’t any other motivation for continuing to eat well, the weight will most likely be put back on. This creates a cycle of failure, and puts great stress on the body.
Every person has the ability to make the decision to adopt a healthy eating style, and stick to it for life. Change, of any kind, comes with some discomfort at first, but patience and persistence go a long way. It really is possible to enjoy the taste of good food, and the feeling of the good health it brings.