Spring Clean Your Plate: Simple Secrets to a Healthier, Happier You!

Warmer weather can inspire us to focus on embracing a clean-eating lifestyle by dropping the processed foods and instead, incorporating more fresh produce, gluten-free options, and low-glycemic sweeteners into our diets. While this transition can be difficult for many, especially those who have become accustomed to the Standard American Diet (SAD), there are some strategies one can implement to overcome these challenges and enjoy the benefits of a healthier diet.

Willpower is a muscle: Exercise it

Utilize mindfulness to beat cravings by visualizing them as temporary rather than permanent fixtures. For example, researchers have taught smokers to analyze the influence of their cravings on their minds and bodies and ultimately overcome them. This approach led to a significant reduction in smoking.

Modify your environment

Your surroundings can impact your ability to resist unhealthy temptations. For example, stress can limit one’s ability to make good decisions by deactivating parts of the brain responsible for restraint and careful judgment, making impulsive choices and immediate gratification appealing.

The impact of processed foods on willpower

Processed foods, which contain chemical ingredients that affect the brain and central nervous system, are metabolized rapidly, resulting in glucose spikes that can mimic the effects of drug addiction. As glucose levels drop, cravings for unhealthy food can intensify.

Evolving research suggests that blood sugar spikes generate a cumulative effect, like drug addiction. The highs created by these spikes cause the brain and the body to crave increased amounts to stimulate familiar sensations.

Choose the right foods to overcome cravings

The process of losing weight often involves consuming fewer calories. However, adjusting the types of food you eat plays a significant role in overcoming cravings and adopting a healthier diet. Non-processed, nutrient-dense whole foods like green, leafy vegetables, lean proteins, sprouted grains, and different legumes, washed down with filtered water, maintain stable blood sugar levels and reduce unhealthy cravings.

Herbal remedies to enhance willpower

Several herbal and botanical ingredients can assist with creating a healthy metabolism, reducing unhealthy cravings, and balancing glucose levels. Examples include American ginseng, chromium polynicotate, medicinal mushrooms, alpha lipoic acid, and seaweed alginates. Include these supplements when transitioning to a clean diet.

Exercise to help make healthy food choices

Incorporating regular exercise into one’s lifestyle provides multiple benefits, especially when starting a clean-eating journey. A 30-minute daily walk, combined with mindful exercises such as yoga, Tai Chi, or Qi Gong, can help alleviate stress, anxiety, and improve mental and physical wellbeing.

By consistently practicing mindful eating habits and selecting nutrient-dense and wholesome foods, your body will efficiently adjust to cleaner, healthier eating patterns, and you will soon enjoy increased energy and vitality.