The Do's and Dont's of Eating

    We have all fallen victim to late night snacking or that occasional snack, which turns into three candy bars followed up by a full bottle of Pepsi. These little forays into sweet temptations can really add up during the day and overtime we often find ourselves going down a lifestyle path of poor choices…. poor diet choices that is to say. So what exactly are some of these poor nutritional habits that are formed overtime and how can you put a stop to a persistent sweet tooth, coupled with sudden illiteracy spells when coming upon a nutritional food label. Let’s find out.

    First of all, what are some poorly selected nutritional habits that we make each and every day? Endless snacking and emotional eating are two of them (Ziff). Whenever we are feeling stressed or even a little bit bored, the vending machines at work take on a god-like quality that often times leads us to frequently visit them in worship. Eventually we are left making multiple trips and amassing a horde of candy bar wraps to show for it. Overtime, this habit leads to an increased waist circumference and low energy levels from going through constant sugar highs and lows. Not only during the day, but even at night we may fall victim to chomping our way through the unhealthiest things that we can find.

Which brings us to two more bad habits which include night time eating and eating too fast. After dinner is finished and before dragging ourselves off to sleep at midnight, even though tomorrows’ wake up time is 6:00 am sharp, a late night snack may make an appearance in the living room or bedroom. One snack turns into two, and before you know it a full continental breakfast has appeared by 11:40 pm. Leaving only 10 minutes to scarf down the food before preparing for bed and inevitable heartburn. Not a great way to end a night, but a scene that frequently plays out in many homes.

    Finally, the worst habit that some people have is the habit of skipping breakfast. Leaving those waffle or granola cereal boxes unopened while running to work hungry. Which leads to hungry feelings throughout the day and another couple of trips to the vending machine, convenience store or a coworker’s hidden food stash after the fullness from that morning coffee fades. A double crime since we have already discussed the effects of caffeine on one’s body and given great breakfast ideas previously on this blog.

    So why exactly are all these poor eating habits so bad for you? Well, they lead to excess weight gain which can affect your health poorly and actually decrease the effectiveness of physical therapy on patients. How can you combat these habits and gain back control of your body? The first change involves eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish and lean meats. While avoiding with zeal foods that are high in sugar and sodium, along with processed meat . Unsaturated and saturated fats can play an important role in helping to determine what constitutes as healthy and unhealthy eating. So make sure to check out our post on it.

    Physical therapist also have a strong base in basic nutritional biochemistry and can advise you in the area of nutrition . Although speaking to a trained and licensed nutritionist is always the best choice. For those who are in physical therapy, combining good nutritional practices with your treatment can lead to more benefits, decreased pain levels and a more sustainable lifestyle in general.  In terms of what you can do by yourself to avoid bad eating habits; the most important thing to do is listen to your body. It tells you when it is hungry and when it is full. Thus if it is not hungry then you do not need to be snacking. Other things include getting more sleep and buying portioned food. Pre-packaged food portions can really prevent one person from eating 2 ½ people worth of food. Plus it can end up being cheaper in the long run by eliminating food waste and saving money.

    Ultimately moderation is key. Even when it comes to good eating practices, too much fruits and vegetables themselves can lead to negative effects. Consequently moderating your eating choices and quantity can help to avoid drowning in snacks and feeling like a walking zombie all day long.