Have you already thought about what you would like to do more of in 2022 or what you would like to do less of? Do more sports, read more, eat less sweets, watch less Netflix...
Hardly any other topic is discussed as much at the beginning of the year as human nutrition. There is no right or wrong way to do it. There are so many food startups that bring new products to the market and we are always surprised how many new products, every year, are developed in the field of food, which are supposed to be "healthier" and "better" for you.
The main issue here is that many people want to change their general eating habits at the beginning of the year. This can then sometimes end up being very frustrating, as we fall back into our "old" habits after a few weeks and feel so much better, but also feel a lot of personal anger at not having "made it" again. A general commitment to "good" resolutions for the new year will not help you, because experience shows how quickly people forget. So, let's not even start with that. Because even the common food culture, around us, does little to help with change, as it is usually quite unhealthy. We are surrounded by large portions of very highly processed foods. We are confronted every day with advertisements claiming that if we eat more sweet and salty snacks and drink more alcohol and soft drinks, we will be happy and hip.
If you now take a close look at how your daily routine is shaping up at the moment and become aware of exactly what you eat every day, you will notice that, completely without having given it much thought, you have acquired some habits when it comes to eating that will do you more harm than good.
Mindful eating is a good way to stop in your hectic everyday life, to slow down, and to listen to yourself. This way you are completely in the here and now and become fully aware of what you are doing. Your digestion relaxes, you consciously take your time when buying food, preparing it and eating it. This increases your self-awareness and appreciation of food.
If you look at your eating and drinking habits at the beginning of the year and then change some of them, this will help you much more than a "Dry January" or big and general resolutions, such as: "I'll never eat meat again!".
There is also no point in reading all the studies or the latest scientific research on nutrition in all its versions. If the food you eat every day consists of 80% fresh, plant-based foods that are not industrially processed, this is an important building block for a balanced life. If you eat less meat and fish, you will help your intestines, your brain, your whole body and you will also do something against climate change. You will feel lighter and better, and with this diet you can preserve nature and support the welfare of animals. Tips from Ayurveda help a lot here, because they lead to a balanced metabolism in the long term.
So a healthy diet consists mainly of unprocessed foods, such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, whole grains, little fish and little meat.
Processed foods from the can or bag will eat each of us, again this year. Many of them also taste great at first. However, the ingredients on the package clearly show that these processed foods are full of artificial substances, which we do not really know on the one hand, and on the other hand, these processed foods contain a lot of calories.
Thinking about springing for a short-term diet can never be the right way to live a balanced life. Therefore, it makes much more sense to change your eating habits, step by step, to a diet based on plant-based foods, to move more and to skip the snacking in between.
You can build simple rules and "anchors" into your daily routine for mindful eating.
Schedule fixed times during the day for your meal
#Meditation in the morning
#Eat slowly and consciously
#Always eat sitting down
#Do not eat anything after 18.00
#Lunch is always your main meal
#Buy fresh food
#Cook, eat and not snack
#Go out in the afternoon and exercise
#Going to bed at 22.00 to sleep
Are some examples that will help you on your way to a balanced life. Constantly worrying about whether you're eating the right thing every time you eat a cereal bar or a piece of cake puts a lot of mental strain on you and puts you in a bad mood. It is about the general habits in the daily routine, which you can change in small steps. And you can achieve a healthier diet primarily with fresh, unprocessed and plant-based foods.
For a meditation, the time in the morning is the best moment. With many different apps available for meditation, you can learn to live more calmly and reflectively. Meditation in the morning and another solid "anchor", your daily exercise in the afternoon, will greatly support you in changing your eating habits in your daily routine.