Change Your Eating Habits One Step at a Time
02 Jun 2009 ~ Categories: blog • body • wellness
Lao-Tsu said that “a journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step”. Well, the same goes for healthy habits. It can start with a single act.
Self-helpers say, “the first step is admitting the problem.” I’ve slipped a little lately. Unfortunately, recognizing the need for change doesn’t automatically make change happen. Like cleaning up a really messy house, cleaning up our bad eating habits can seem overwhelming. Where to start?
With housecleaning, it’s sometimes easiest just to pick one random area and home in. Clear out the junk drawer, and the motivation and momentum gets a kick start. All of sudden, you’re in the housecleaning zone.
So if your body is your temple then your sugar consumption (or coffee habit, or carb ODing) is the junk drawer of your corporeal and spiritual house, if you will.
Break one bad habit, and you might find that it’s a lot easier to get on a healthy roll.
For me, it’s often about drinking more water. I know I should be drinking eight full glasses of the good stuff a day, but sometimes I get lazy or forgetful. My skin starts to look dry, I’m constantly thirsty, and my energy level plunges.
So I write myself a friendly little reminder note. I post it somewhere that I will see it regularly (on my computer, for instance) like this:
“Amy, drink water NOW.”
I find that once I incorporate the healthy water drinking back into my daily rituals, I’m less inclined to reach for caffeinated beverages or sugary drinks. Plus, drinking a healthy amount of water smooths out my digestion and I get more “regular” which most of us find helpful. My skin looks more dewy and my organs must be thanking me too as water plumps up there cells up and helps to flush out waste.
When the positive effects of water drinking kick in, I’m usually inspired to make other changes to my eating habits. One realistic step at a time or “one day at a time” as the 12 steppers say.
Off to drink my water,
Amy
