I have suggested practicing random acts of kindness as one of the techniques of being a happy person. To the extent a person is eating to assuage feelings of unhappiness, this can also help with weight control. Here is a non-random act pointed specifically at yourself.
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation suggested that the next time you feel hungry from a snack to skip the soda, chips or candy and eat a healthy snack like a piece of fruit, granola bar or some veggies which, not incidentally, also have fewer calories than junk foods. This is a simple way to be kind to your body. It’s also a great way to get the energy you need to pay full attention at school and work or enjoy yourself in other activities outside. Be kind to your body and eat healthy snacks.
Some of the benefits of healthy snacking include keeping your energy levels even. The refined sugar in junk foods leads to a false feeling of more energy, or sugar rush. The downside of this is a crash when it wears off. Instead, eating healthy snacks keeps you productive and happy all day and more available to help others.
This kind of thing starts at the grocery store. You need to be able to pass up the junk food there so you won’t have it when you get home. Pick up instead apples, bananas. I have found that buying a pineapple can also lead to tasty treats. Some stores sell them already cored. Or, you can pick up a cheap plastic pineapple corer and do it yourself. You can use the pineapple pieces in tasty smoothies, too.
If you have vending machines at the office selling junk food, try not to bring change so you can’t buy any.
Finally, it can be easier to do something like this piecemeal rather than trying to switch off cold turkey. Work your way into it. Switch out of one junk snack every couple of days and replace it with something healthy. Dipping vegetables into low-cal dressing or some healthy hummus can make them more enjoyable. Try an apple with peanut butter. One of my absolute favorites is apple and crumbled blue cheese. I wrote about it back in April.
If you work on more healthy snacking being kind to your body, it will thank you with a healthier life.
Tony
Wellness Secrets of a SuperAger 