🍕8 Hidden Reasons You’re Not Becoming Healthier According to Nutritionists Even Though Everything You Do Seems Right

The worst thing you can do for your health is associate weight with food.

It just doesn’t work but we can’t just leave it at that.

Let’s dive into what exactly that means.

Without getting too technical, your weight is made up of a lot of things and it fluctuates daily. From your muscle mass, to body fat, stress, hormones, temperature, what you ate, when eat eat, water levels and how much sleep you’ve gotten all factor into the number on the scale.

So why bother and ruminate over it?

No one is perfect or can control all these equally.

Yet people are still attracted to the scale because it does add some value-it lets us know if we are in a healthy range and that’s 100% okay.

I don’t advise not looking at a scale but what I do ask is not to treat every food equally and counting calories until you die.

Most people live to eat not eat to live.

From a basic sense, food is fuel and it changes daily. Dependent on our activities, how we are feeling and most importantly mainly due to the external factors that are sometimes not in our control play the biggest effect.

The US, one of the most obese and unhealthiest countries in the world doesn’t treat food as nutrition or an ingredient we need to live by.

Rather as a diet and pleasure.

Back to the Basics

If you examine and compare the healthiest and unhealthiest places on earth, it’s not about how many gyms there are or fast food, its about the type and qualify of food they eat and how they treat it.

Let’s take my lifestyle for example. I eat everything in moderation. I don’t cut out sugar nor fat because we need to live. I mainly follow the Mediterranean blue zone diet full of fresh foods from the ground no processed junk along with eating during a designated time slot to naturally boost my metabolism, sleep and digest food better, ironically curb hunger and increase satiety.

This isn’t a strict rule.

Sometimes I fall off track but I’ve been on it since I could remember because it makes me feel good.

That’s it so it ends up being easy because you enjoy it.

If you can’t do it for a year, don’t try it for a day.

We need a certain amount of fat to survive. Yet, majority of people in this fast paced cheap culture where everything is buy one, get the second one free and fast food chains and gym memberships offered on each corner, we feel obligated to stuff ourselves every time time we are either bored, tired, lazy or upset.

We tie food with emotions and wants instead of hunger and necessity.

We’ve lost control over our emotions and hunger cues, similarly to how retail traders feel when Reddit traders go nuts over unprofitable stocks turning it into a gambling match. This leads someone to become more prone to an eating disorder, bulimenia, anorexia and other toxic eating habits.

How I Eat

I use several metrics that my family has adopted since I was born and followed throughout their lives in Europe.

There’s no allotted gym time in their schedules and people eat less and feel more full for a reason.

Anyone struggling with their weight or health can follow these strategies to get their mindset ready.

Here’s what the experts say you should follow in order to truly get your health in shape:

#1: Food is For Fuel

When I feel hungry, firstly I drink a glass of water. There’s no rush so I drink it slowly and then wait 20 minutes. If you’re in a rush, then plan your meal beforehand but don’t expect yourself always to be hungry at 9am, 12pm and 6pm. More often than not you don’t need as much food as you planned on eating after drinking water which is the easiest cure to curb satiety and feel more energized too with glowing skin. Portion control is key and is all dictated by how you feel.

#2: Eat with Others and No Distractions

Eating with others lets you slow down and ironically pay more attention to what you are eating. You are less likely to take seconds or thirds when you are with others. You aren’t as distracted because you are speaking with others and focusing on chewing while listening. Being alone on your phone is dangerous. Might as well dig into a buffet at that point.

#3: Sleep is the Best Medicine And Yes, Better Than Exercise

If I asked you, ‘how to loose weight quicker’, would you say exercise more or sleep more?

The truth is, anything too much is bad. Exercising too much harms results and sleeping more makes you groggy, unproductive and sometimes more hungry.

I know, life is tough and finding a balance is hard but if you are searching for a ‘quick fix’ sleep is your best friend.

It controls everything we do. There’s nothing in our body that’s NOT affected by sleep. If you get less, expect to eat more, feel worse and do less.

Our days are crazy and not all of us are able to get our desired 8 hours. Luckily, there’s a cure. Drink more water, stay alert by having coffee and fake stimulants or take a power nap.

You can never ‘catch up’ on sleep because it’s in the past but you can feel better and curb hunger cravings by making it a priority tonight.

#4: Get Outside

Eating outside has a plethora of benefits, similarly to taking a walk in nature. It is meditative, relaxing and peaceful. Getting the daily dose of Vitamin C and D is extremely beneficial to getting a good night’s rest and being able to control your mood which directly affects your hunger cues.

#5: Stop Counting

Counting calories isn’t fun so why do it? Looking at the scale will give you a number but not something you should obsesses over every day. If you want a change, understand it takes a while.

Similarly to establishing a habit, it takes roughly 30 days to see results. Take it easy, slow and understand it will be painful. That’s what change is about.

Counting calories doesn’t have to happen.

Eat slower to digest food and register you are full.

Eat everything from fruit to vegetables, carbs and sweets all in moderation. Some need less focus than others but don’t cut or count.

Focus and prioritize.

#6: Never Equate Food with Exercise or Only Exercise

To loose weight, this formula always wins: 80% diet, 20% exercise.

Only in US cities will you see a gym on every corner and New Year’s resolutions made. When I travel to Europe people eat bread, pasta, all the carbs and sugar you can imagine but they don’t eat too much of it.

Portion control is key and eating to workout is an addictive cycle.

Make exercise part of your daily routine by naturally taking part in it. Invest in a standing desk and do jumping jakes every 20 minutes.

Exercising for an hour and sitting all day is pointless.

Move to feel good.

Eat to live.

If you find yourself in the addictive cycle of needing to burn off something you just ate, realize that that is a dark trap that can get worse quick.

If you hate working out, then take a daily walk with friends to make it fun or read on the elliptical every morning like I do to distract myself.

I guarantee you you will feel better.

Remember that change requires sacrifice and hard work. There’s no easy way out.

#7: You’re Not Eating Enough and Waiting Too Long to Eat

Most people assume that if you skip a meal, you will become healthier and loose calories faster.

Loosing weight is about eating less but when you skip a meal, your metabolism slows down expecting more food and it won’t digest all the fats as quickly since it will slow down the fat burning process.

Although the more you eat, the more you burn, skipping a meal will more often than not just lead you to eat more a.k.a binge at night.

Instead of eating 2 huge meals, eat consistently throughout the day. For extra results, try intermittent fasting. Eat throughout an 8 hour window then have a 16 hour fast with only 0 calorie liquids.

You will feel better not skipping meals and less hungry too.

16 hours isn’t long especially since we sleep for half of the period.

#8: Don’t Let Your Foods Cheat You

Ever heard of healthy granola bars or ‘clean’ cereal?

Oh how I hate the word ‘clean’.

Anything that isn’t grown from the Earth is processed and made with artificial sweeteners, ingredients, factors, oils, you name it.

Overtime this has an affect on blood sugar, BMI, can increase your chances for diabetes, obesity, memory and possibly even death if you eat an excessive amount of junk.

I’m not saying you can’t have McDonalds. I love a good cheeseburger and shake on a road trip but certainly not everyday.

Be cautious of the foods that are labeled healthy and just made to look healthy.

Eating and feeling good is part of living an enjoyable life.

If you treat your body badly, it will treat your mind dirty and play tricks on you.

To become the best version of yourself, be your first priority.

Health is wealth after all.

You only have one brain and body.