Waltzing through the grocery isles, basket in hand, you pick up an apple. Quick, what are you thinking? Equally significant, what made you pick up a juicy piece of goodness instead of a bag of Doritos? Digging into your subconscious thoughts about food can reveal a wealth of information about what fuels your cravings and poor eating habits.
By examining the thought patterns of a healthier eater in comparison to that of a junk food lover, we can unravel what changes to make in our own psyche when confronted with the slew of food available.
With this thought in mind I decided a little experiment was in order. My friends the willing participants. After chatting with the few health nuts and those who live off Ramen and count french fries as vegetables, I discovered a mish mash of thought patterns surrounding food and how that shapes what my peers actually consume.
With this thought in mind I decided a little experiment was in order. My friends the willing participants. After chatting with the few health nuts and those who live off Ramen and count french fries as vegetables, I discovered a mish mash of thought patterns surrounding food and how that shapes what my peers actually consume.
Below are some of my findings…
Taste vs. Nutrition: When asked what drew them to certain isles or food items in the grocery store the junk food lovers described a draw for taste at the moment. Did they feel like something salty, sweet, crunchy, warm? Whatever craving they felt at the time would dictate what types of food landed in their carts. Thoughts about calories might pop up, but weren’t a huge concern. They may or may not know it’s bad for them, but don’t care. While in the health nuts brain, their thoughts pertained to how a chosen food item would benefit their body. How would the broccoli effect their body? Positively or negatively? “Will this food make me feel energized and light or bloated and weighed down?” Labels are checked for a multitude of different things. Ingredients and calories from protein, fat, carbs and sugars scrutinized. Very interesting!
Taste vs. Nutrition: When asked what drew them to certain isles or food items in the grocery store the junk food lovers described a draw for taste at the moment. Did they feel like something salty, sweet, crunchy, warm? Whatever craving they felt at the time would dictate what types of food landed in their carts. Thoughts about calories might pop up, but weren’t a huge concern. They may or may not know it’s bad for them, but don’t care. While in the health nuts brain, their thoughts pertained to how a chosen food item would benefit their body. How would the broccoli effect their body? Positively or negatively? “Will this food make me feel energized and light or bloated and weighed down?” Labels are checked for a multitude of different things. Ingredients and calories from protein, fat, carbs and sugars scrutinized. Very interesting!
My thoughts: I find it fascinating to compare mindsets! I always wondered what went through people’s brains when picking and eating junk. I know what goes through my head when the choice between a piece of fruit or cookie is presented. “Damn this is tough!” In all honesty I have certain criteria and questions I ask in my head before I place something in my basket. By revealing some positive thought patterns, we can then use these as tools to create life long healthy eating habits. Join me in getting diets out of your life.
Here are some of the questions I ask when walking the market or picking an item off a menu…
Here are some of the questions I ask when walking the market or picking an item off a menu…
1.) What are the ingredients? If it’s in a box, jar or can I try not to pick it up. If there are any words I can’t pronounce or a list of 20 I’ll put it down pronto. I don’t pay a huge amount of attention to calories because most whole foods don’t come with a label :D.
2.) How is this food going to fuel my workout, energy for the day, and mental clarity? Veggies, fruit, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and lean meats all come from the planet which means they carry all the necessary nutrients. No processing means no loss of nutrients. Stable energy throughout the day is essential for a fast metabolism, which leads me to…
3.) Where does this food fit into my day? Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks or all the above? Eating like a king in the morning and a pauper at night is my golden rule. Carbs like whole grain bread, and brown rice along with fats are consumed earlier in the day so I have time to burn them off before bed. Eating lighter dishes like veggies and soups are reserved for dinner.
4.) How can I make this food more tasty? Eating whole foods doesn’t mean you miss out on taste. Spices and other goodies like onion, garlic, ginger, and herbs satisfy the taste buds without the artery clogging tastes from junk food.
5.) How will I feel after eating this food? This means I pay a lot of attention to how food effects my digestion so I know when I hit the store what to expect. Salty foods and certain veggies make me feel bloated along with any dairy. I’ve experimented with food for quite some time in order to find what makes me feel light and full of energy. Portion of course also plays a huge roll in how you feel after a meal!
These are my thoughts when walking the isles, what are yours? Pay attention to what’s going on upstairs while you shop and get back to me! I’d love to hear what makes you choose one thing over another. Ask yourself some of the questions above and see what you pull out of the cart at the checkout stand. One of my friends described her body as a pet. She takes care of it as though it was her beloved dog. With care and concern. She wouldn’t trash or beat up her dog so why would she do it to her own body? Awesome!
F.Y.I: I definitely don’t eat this strict all the time. Chocolate and vino notoriously shimmy their way into my week, but because I am disciplined most of the time I don’t fret about a few indulgences. That is what works for my body. It’s about finding what works for yours. I can’t stress enough how unique every person is. There is no one size fits all when it comes to nutrition. Every body is different and needs certain things to run at optimum levels.
