The Undetected Habits Holding You Back From Reaching Your Health Goals

Lack of Organisation

A lack of organisation with your food can leave you going without eating for too long which can then further increase the likelihood of reaching for absolutely anything + consuming a large volume of food to excess.

If you have a busy week coming up, avoid getting to the stage of chaos with some well-planned meals and snacks. You don't even have to do a full meal prep for the week, you can simply cook a few key ingredients in bulk which will enable you to create meals as you go throughout the week. Seek out some healthy snacks to keep you well-prepped too.

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Eating most of your food later on in the evening

Research suggests that consuming the bulk of your daily food intake later on in the evening can lead to an increased chance of developing obesity and other cardiometabolic diseases. While having a small snack that is 150-200calories before bed proves to be no issue, it's the act of eating large volumes of food that is the real setback. Try to organise your day in a way that allows you to consume balanced meals throughout the day, if you can, allow a few hours after eating dinner to get to sleep. If you are still hungry after dinner, having that smaller snack is no issue, as long as it is a healthier option too.

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Consuming ultra-processed foods

Most of us know that ultra-processed foods are not beneficial to our health and can lead to a wide range of adverse health effects if they are consumed frequently. Ultra-processed foods include foods such as chips, lollies, some ready meals, fast food meals,

pastries, cakes, biscuits, and so on.

However, although this may be obvious, what may not be is the ultra-processed foods that are disguised as 'health' foods - a great marketing tactic by the food industry here. Some of these foods may be lower in calories, but we need to realise that it's also the ingredients and composition that can influence our health.

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Skimping on sleep

Sleep is vital. Adequate sleep does not only ensure that the brain is working efficiently but can also influence the foods and quantity of food you crave during the day. If you skimp on sleep, you could be more likely to crave foods higher in calories and (processed) carbohydrates. Further to this, the neurotransmitters leptin (which contributes to feeling full) and ghrelin (promotes hunger) that are responsible for hunger regulator signals, may also be dampened, leaving you reaching for more energy-dense food too.

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As you can see, all of these factors can be quite easy to sneak into your life. However, the good news is, the first step of change is awareness, so you've already taken that crucial first step!

Changing lifestyle habits can take time, it's better to focus on one area well than to try and make a huge overhaul to your life which likely won't last. If you feel like you could benefit from guidance and structure with your eating and nutrition, feel free to fill out an application form here https://www.takeoneholistic.com/nutrition-coaching