Eating and fuelling the body has unfortunately evolved to be an excessive and overindulgent affair. We repeatedly eat way more than our body needs to function. Meal after meal, day in day out, month after month, even decade after decade we eat the wrong kinds of foods alongside portion sizes increasing
Of course that’s not the whole story if we also add all the fat and sugar laden unhealthy snacks in between meals, the pressure on already overloaded metabolic processes and systems is huge.
The body can cope easily with periods of fasting. It is now widely understood to be hugely beneficial to put your body into an intermittent fasted state. Several important metabolic processes commence when the body is in this state including vital cell repair and regeneration. Growth hormone (the hormone responsible for maintenance of muscle tissue and anti-ageing processes) increases by up to 60%.
Very few of us eat in a mindful, functional way to give the body the correct amounts and types of food it needs to function optimally to keep us in ongoing good health. Repeated overindulgences put an incredible strain on our body’s organs.
Many chronic conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, heart problems, obesity and type 2 diabetes stem from decades and decades of continued food-abuses on the body’s metabolism.
Our bodies eventually become overloaded to the point that organs and bodily processes can no longer function properly, and chronic health conditions then become apparent. A preventative approach is far better than trying to fix years of damage, some of which cannot be reversed.
So where are you going wrong?
Food types – too much rich, processed high sugar, fatty foods.
Portion sizes – buy a food portion plate to help you portion your meals.
Inactivity – storing fats/sugars instead of burning them off.
Emotional eating – bored, stressed, low mood and turning to food.
Being blind to your own behaviour. (choosing not to fix the problem).
Not hydrating enough. Lifestyle – your too busy or stressed to eat well, yet eating better will help you physically and mentally.
You may not be giving your body enough rest or sleep time.
Continuing to eat once you are full.
How can you fix it?
Keep a food diary – eat the correct types of food. High fibre, moderate carbohydrates, high protein, low fats and sugars.
Cut out processed foods and refined sugars.
Reduce your portion sizes. You will soon adjust to a new normal.
Stay hydrated – drink at least two litres of water daily.
Educate yourself on food – examine labels and learn what you are actually consuming.
Stay active – exercising will burn excess fats and sugars instead of storing them.
Develop healthy routines to prevent emotional overeating and snacking.
Try one of the many Apps available on your phone to track calorie intake versus what you burn through planned efforts.