Bad Food Habits and Ways To Rectify

The millennials, the middle-aged, the elder, and the children are all victims of bad eating habits. In the first place, it is not always about the food, it is also about the food ritual. Eating in a rush, starving to get an hourglass, night-time snacking, binge-watching and eating junk food, emotional eating, or just not eating the right way — are all these familiar to you too? We all develop sneaky bad food habits that usually end up disrupting our lifestyle more than we imagined. But, the good news is that we all can become aware of these unhealthy habits of eating and make changes to become better. Here is a list of all the bad food habits that you need to correct and ways you can correct them.

Eating too Fast

It is not a race! Do not wolf down the important meals of the day. In this fast-paced world, we all have busy schedules and over-pouring commitments, but do not we also have a duty to our bodies? Yes, eating too fast can have a harsh toll on your health. Fast eating can be one of the reasons for being overweight, and obese. Fast eating can create resistance to insulin usage. Thereby creating a great chance of diabetes. Inflammation and gastritis are also linked due to eating too fast.

How to correct it?

• Taking small bites may help you slow down the pace and eat more calmly.
• Chew thoroughly – It is often advised to chew at least 32 times before swallowing food.
• Linger over your food – Just notice the texture, softness, color, taste, smell, and temperature of every single bite you take.

Skipping out Breakfast(or meals)

Skipping meals slows down the body’s metabolism, which makes it hard to lose weight. Blood sugar levels decrease. The cortisol level rises too. In short, you may be feeling confused, stressed, tired and energyless because you skipped a meal. Skipping breakfast seems to have a higher risk because it is the most important meal of the day. You may end up eating a heavy lunch and feel drained. Eating just one meal a day and using up all the calories is not right.  Having three meals with a proper calorie count is the secret.

How to correct it?

• Start with small bites to get into that habit – a bite of the apple in the mornings, or a quick salad, to make you energized and full.
• Plan all your meals, so that you do not get end up stressing about meal planning and prep-work.
• If not in a mood to have a proper meal, try having small healthy meals frequently throughout the day to keep you energized.
• To cover your mid-day hunger pangs, carry healthy snacks like curd and granola bars.

Irregular Schedules

Irregular schedules can include a greater risk of obesity and eating disorders, bone loss, gastrointestinal disturbances, electrolyte and fluid imbalances, low heart rate, and blood pressure, increased anxiety, depression, and social isolation.

How to correct it?

Put a reminder in your calendar to notify you about the meal timings.

• Have small  frequent meals
• Allot enough time for meal breaks

Mindless Eating

Eating while on the phone, watching TV, or reading, or just being distracted by anything is not a good idea. It is important to pay attention to your body, your hunger, and how much you have actually eaten as eating absent-mindedly can be a big factor in weight gain. This is because when you are not paying attention to what you are eating it’s harder for you to realize when you are actually satisfied and full – so there is a tendency to just keep going until it’s all gone.

How to correct it?

• Cut the distractions: Netflix, phones, articles, and talking.
• Make eating an experience.
• Allot enough time to chew and slowly eat the food.

Eating Stomach Full

Stored energy is what is known as fat. Excessive stored energy in our body can lead to insulin resistance in the long run. We might also misjudge the capacity of our stomachs and load it with edibles. Therefore, an increased chance of heart disease and stroke decreased physical ability and motivation, and a negative psyche starts with this sneaky little bad habit.

How to correct it?

• Have a calorie count of your meals
• Listen to your body’s needs and take notes, that way you can yourself eliminate all the bad food habits.
• Distinguish between craving taste and needed nutrients.

Eating at Late Nights

Have you ever been guilty about sneaking to the kitchen to grab some food in the middle of the night just to keep your mouth busy while you binge-watch? Eating loads at late night and dozing off quickly after that can make you obese and leave you feeling exhausted the next day. The fluids cannot work unless you do. Hitting your bed right after dinner can cause heartburn and indigestion.

How to correct it?

•  Make a schedule to eat two-three hours before you sleep.
•  Always eat before 8 pm.
•  If too hungry before bed, take small bites of fruits or drink a glass of milk.

Starving Yourself 

Starving to lose weight changes the metabolism. It reduces lean muscle, bone density, and strength. Starving isn’t just one of the bad food habits, it surely is the worst food habit. It’s high time we learn the fact that starving ourselves and losing weight isn’t the same thing.

How to correct it?

•      Never cut off the necessary nutrients while dieting
•      Eat less but eat well
•      Exercise more, but don’t starve.

Ordering Food too Often

Though restaurants claim to provide nutritious food, the sugar, and salt added to soothe the tongue today, but will surely be detrimental to our health in long run. Cooking food takes time and effort, which will help you truly appreciate and take care of yourself. Ordering restaurant food too often is one of the extremely unhealthy food habits

How to correct it?

• Plan meals as “me time” and try cooking different cuisines.
• Keep a limit check on the food you order.
• Count your calories.

Following Quick Weight-loss Strategies

Fad diets are all over the internet. Promising you of unreasonably quick weight loss plans, they do the opposite. In the first few days, you may feel that you are losing weight, but in the end, you end up being dehydrated and nutrients.

How to correct it?

• Take the long but worthy route, do exercises.
• Eat down all the necessary nutrients for your body.
• Find yourself a weight loss partner to encourage and give you company through the process.

Eating while Standing

I already told you, it’s not only the food you eat but also about the ritual you adopt. Standing while eating will never satisfy the inner need for food and nutrients. You may end up over-eating due to that. Also, a study shows that standing and eating will increase our digestion 30 % faster. No! It ain’t good news. This may increase the likelihood of poor carb digestion, gas, and bloating. In short, it affects the nutrient absorption capacity of the body. So, yes standing while eating is also one of the bad food habits.

How to correct it?

• Even when in a hurry, make a point to sit for a minute and mindfully eat the food.
• Firstly stop drinking water while standing.

Eating When Not Hungry

Sometimes, our cravings take over our instincts. Health takes a back seat and pleasure drives us. Eating when emotional and tired are very common among the masses, but they come up with a price of uninvited carbs and fatigue. In fact, anxiety and irregular sleep patterns are the main reason for this urge of eating when not really hungry. Here are some suggestions to overcome that urge.

How to correct it?

• Listen to your body, notice if you are really hungry.
• Rate your hunger levels
• Drink a glass full of water and wait for 20 mins to see if it is real hunger.