How to Destroy Unhealthy Eating Habits with Truvy

    Published: June 29, 2023

    Don’t be fooled: You can’t always control overeating and weight gain through willpower alone. Unhealthy eating habits have often been reinforced for years or even decades. But when these habits result in long-term weight gain, it takes some awareness and action to destroy them and return to living a healthy life.

    Learn about the causes and effects of unhealthy eating habits and how to break those habits and improve how you fuel your body.

    Unhealthy Eating Habits: Causes and Effects

    Let’s look at some of the most common causes and effects of years of unhealthy eating. 

    Obesity

    Many factors contribute to obesity, including minimal physical activity, poor eating patterns, and irregular sleep habits. Other issues, such as medical history, genetics, and certain medications, also play a part.

    Another factor is your diet, as overeating unhealthy foods results in sustained weight gain, which can lead to obesity. This condition also makes you more vulnerable to poor health and certain diseases.

    Mood Disorders

    Unhealthy foods often lack the nutrients that produce serotonin, which converts into dopamine, the “feel-good” hormone. Both serotonin and dopamine help your brain function properly. 

    People who don’t get enough serotonin or dopamine have a higher risk of depression and may feel sad more often than usual. Certain foods can help you feel good, while others may have the opposite effect. 

    Slower Learning

    Harvard Health conducted a study showing that certain foods are linked to improved brainpower. By contrast, unhealthy food may cause damage to memory and cognitive ability. 

    When people eat diets high in fat and sugar, their attention and mental speed slow. That’s primarily because sugar and fat limit the brain-derived neurotrophic factor responsible for learning retention.

    How to Break Unhealthy Eating Habits

    Breaking bad eating habits is easier than you think. Review some of our tips below.

    • Plan and prep your meals beforehand so you always have healthy options in your pantry or refrigerator. 
    • Cut your portions by a third or half. 
    • Order an appetizer at restaurants rather than a full entrée. 
    • Stock your kitchen with whole fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains rather than processed foods high in salt, fat, and sugar.
    • Limit snacking when you’re at work or school. Take pre-made containers filled with fruit, veggies, hummus, etc., to minimize temptation.
    • Get your friends or family on board with healthy eating. It’s easier to achieve your goals with a support system in place. 
    • Combine eating healthy foods with other solid habits like drinking more water and exercising several times a week. You will be much more likely to stick with healthy habits if you change your lifestyle!

    Strategies to Improve Eating Habits

    Try these fixes for even more success. 

    1. Use smaller plates and bowls instead of larger dishes. 
    2. Never eat directly from a box, package, or container. Instead, pour a serving into a bowl and put the package away.
    3. When eating out, share an entrée with your partner or take home half for leftovers.
    4. Stock up on healthy snack items to bring on the go. Options include bananas, apples, grapes, yogurt, cheese, and whole-grain crackers.
    5. Create a self-care plan for when you’re feeling stressed or anxious. For many people, these feelings can trigger the desire to eat. Think about what you can do to reduce your stress that doesn’t involve eating, such as walking around the neighborhood, meditating, or chatting with a friend.
    6. Eat slowly. Your mind needs a few minutes to register that you’re full. Chewing thoroughly and putting down your utensils between bites will help you avoid overeating. 
    7. Drink water with every meal. You’ll feel fuller quicker.

    More Tips for Improved Eating Habits

    Are you still struggling? Your lifestyle habits may affect your ability to change the way you eat. For example, feeling tired can make it harder to stick to your new routine.

    Establish a schedule for going to bed and waking up around the same time every day, even on weekends. About an hour before bed, dim the lights in your bedroom and turn off your computer, phone, or television screens. By creating a schedule, you can improve your sleep habits and reduce your risk of obesity.

    You might be tempted to go cold turkey when it comes to your favorite indulgences. But doing so can cause you to feel like you’re punishing yourself or cause an increase in cravings. 

    Instead of taking an all-or-nothing approach, consider how you can enjoy your favorite foods in moderation. As you adjust your habits, you may find that you don’t crave the same foods.

    How Truvy Products Can Aid Healthy Eating Habits

    Fad diets, new exercise crazes, and sudden changes might result in short-term weight loss. But if you’re not committed to the change, you may give up and gain back the weight (and then some). Instead of jumping on the latest trend, it’s more effective to adjust unhealthy eating habits slowly and make thoughtful lifestyle changes for more permanent success. 

    *THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE, OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.