I’m all for flexibility when it comes to what people eat. It’s important for times that they are out of their normal routine or food environment that they recognise they don’t need to rigidly eat the same foods or meals yet are still able to progress towards their health goals. But there should be rules around food choices. I’m not talking about following a specifically dogmatic dietary regime, such as only eating “paleo” or “raw vegan”. I’m talking about rules such as those listed below.
Many people feel anxious if they have to constantly make decisions around food. These types of rules take the thinking out of it, therefore less energy is wasted around what to eat and they aren’t constantly thinking about their food. The constant rumination can create anxiety and neuroticism, instead of feeling empowered and confident in their food decisions.
1. Never eat standing up (therefore omitting mindless snacking).
2. Brush your teeth after dinner (to avoid snacking later in the evening).
3. Have at least one serve of vegetables at breakfast, and two-three at lunch and dinner.
4 Put all junk food in the house in an opaque container and keep it high up in the pantry: out of sight, out of mind.
5. Choose a protein (meat, eggs, fish) and vegetables first when eating a meal out, and then (if still hungry), choose something else. This will fill you up, so there is less room for other foods that are easy to overeat.
6. Order dressings and sauces on the side (so you can control how much you use).
Nutritionist Mikki Williden helps people manage their diets in an interesting way, at a low cost. Find out more at mikkiwilliden.com