Bad Eating Habits: Step 4
Changing The Way You Eat
Bad eating habits contribute to poor physical and mental health.
When our bodies don't get the necessary nutrients it needs, we become deficient in proper vitamins and minerals that help keep our mind body functioning at it's best.
Certain vitamins and minerals are needed in order to bring balance back to the mind and body. In this step, bad eating habits must be changed so that your mind and body can replenish itself to good health!
- Take the time to drink more water! Water is important especially when you are feeling fatigued.
- Limit caffeine, sugars, artificial sweeteners, refined foods and chemicals such as MSG (monosodium glutamate).
- Stay away from fast foods and fried foods. These foods are extremely high in saturated fats, calories and contribute to "mental brain fog". These foods will also slow you down and contribute to the chronic fatigue that you feel from chronic stress, anxiety, and depression. Not sure what to eat? Check out Stress Diet Foods.
Bad eating habits only contribute to stress, anxiety and depression. In many cases, it can even be the cause of it! It is imperative that you bring health back to your body and mind through good eating.
I do understand that breaking the cycle of bad eating habits is hard to break. It really helps to introduce newer and better foods little by little to your diet. Foods such as raw fruits and vegetables are a great place to start. You can slowly introduce these foods into your diet by trying a new food each week. When you find a food you like, it's that much easier to stick with it in the long run.
With depression and anxiety, it's hard to eat right. Oftentimes, the symptoms include either eating too much or too little. Most often, people with depression tend to eat more sugary, fatty foods while people with anxiety have a hard time eating anything at all. Either way, it's important to eat right so that your body can recuperate properly.
One thing that helps greatly while you are getting your bad eating habits under control is through taking a good quality multi-vitamin each day.
It's important to note that all vitamin-mineral supplements are not created equal. With a little research, you can find pharmaceutical grade supplements that will make a great difference in how you feel.
One thing you can do too is add a liquid nutrition supplements to your diet. These supplements are particularly helpful for people who have a hard time eating because of their anxiety.
Step 4 Actions:
1. Work on changing your diet to include foods that will support your body during this time (Include natural supplements if necessary).
2. Spend approx. 10-20 minutes each day on your choice of isometric or progressive muscle relaxation exercises.
3. Spend at least 20 minutes each day on aerobic, strength, or toning exercises. These exercise the heart, as well as the muscles and they also help burn excess adrenaline.
4. Write in a journal each day (preferably before bedtime). Don't pressure yourself, just write whatever comes to mind. Use the Journal Entry Worksheet if you don't have a journal.
5. Do the Positive Thought Replacement worksheet at least once a day. If your thoughts are running rampant and going through a particularly hard time, it helps to do this worksheet as many times possible throughout the day. As silly as this feels, it is very important that you do not skip this exercise.
6. If you are struggling with obsessive thinking, take the time each day to practice visualization exercises and thought stopping exercises.
7. When you get the hang of changing your bad eating habits, you can then move ahead to Step 5.
Do not move forward until you are ready!
