Healthy eating is not always cut and dry. It can be difficult to stay consistent and even build an appetite for relative foods. Most of our food preferences are derived from the cultural and environmental aspects of our lives. However, the conditioning of our brain also plays a huge role in urges and habitual cravings. We train our brains to crave sugary and salty foods by what we choose to put in our systems. Food choice is often an emotional response to what is currently happening in your life. There can be emotional triggers that encourage unhealthy food choices or binging to suppress undesirable emotions. However, being more intentional with your groceries and food preparations will help overcome a lot of struggles in your journey.
More often than not, opt for organic produce from the local farmers market. Here is a list of the clean and dirty dozen fruits and vegetables. https://nutritionfacts.org/app/uploads/2018/03/metric.png
Identify the vitamins you are lacking, research foods high in nutrition, and formulate a plan to implement them into your diet.
Cut down on processed snacks such as chips, cookies, biscuits, candy, and cakes.
Reduce the number of items on your grocery list, this will help you become more intentional w/ your purchases. Buy items that can be used for multiples meals and in different ways, i.e; Tomatoes - sauce, soup, salad or pasta topping, juicing, raw snacking w/ vegetables.
Strive for nutritious meals, including 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables with the goal of consuming more dark greens.
Drink water instead of consuming any other beverages including tea. Water will help the flow and consistency of your digestive process.
Discipline your eating practices by preparing food in advance. Meal prepping is an effective way of limiting distractions and emotional eating. If well-rounded meals are already prepared and labeled, you'll be less likely to indulge in other food sources.
Listen to your body, not your mind. Your body will speak to you in many ways, exhibiting varying effects such as hair loss, brittle nails, dry skin, feelings of fatigue, and loss of concentration. When you're eating healthy and nutritious meals, your body tends to respond in a desirable manner giving you high energy, glowing skin, brain clarity, and improved mood. Pay attention to these changes and eat accordingly.