Are These 4 Everyday Eating Habits Destroying Your Health?

It’s crazy how easy it is to slip into bad eating habits of all kinds. Sometimes it seems that we humans enjoy having one finger hovering above the self-destruct button, and yet we may not even know it.

Add to this the fact that there is so much confusing, conflicting information out there on what constitutes good health practices… and it’s little wonder that we are making health-harming errors in our everyday eating habits!

If your health isn’t currently optimal, it’s time to pay attention to the detrimental habits you may have cultivated, however inadvertently.

The very nature of a habit means you’re familiar with it, and habits can feel like second nature after a while. However, just because you’re used to doing something doesn’t mean it’s not harming you.

In this article, I’ll take a closer look at four of the most destructive everyday eating habits.

Some are more obvious than others, but however transparent, it’s still surprisingly easy to lapse into them.

Who needs daily habits that lead to illness, obesity and other unwanted physical conditions? I’m betting you don’t.

Eating Habit #1: Eating too fast

Eating too fast is one of the most common bad habits around… but really, what’s the rush?

The reasons for cramming food down our throats before we’ve even chewed it properly may well be personal.

Perhaps you were always hurried as a child, or in competition with siblings.

Maybe the fast pace of modern society has left you feeling that you always need to rush to the next task, so you’re never fully present or relaxed.

It could just be that the food tastes so good that you find yourself shoveling it in!

Whatever your motivation, it pays to be aware of this destructive everyday eating habit.

Here’s why: if you don’t chew your food properly, you are going to give your body a lot of hard work to do in order to break it down.

This is especially the case with meat and fibrous foods. You will notice lots of bloating and gas―the byproducts of digestion.

Eating this way means you won’t give your body a chance to process the food properly, and as a result the signal from your brain that lets it know you’re full won’t be triggered in time.

By the time it does let you know, you’ll probably have consumed a whole load more calories than you actually needed… and that’s one surefire way of getting fat.

Eating Habit #2: Being fooled by the ‘low fat’ options

The problem with ‘diet’ or low-fat foods is that where the sugar and fat have been removed, something even nastier has often been put in their places.

On top of this, there is a lot of misconception around fat and whether it actually makes you fat.

Studies have shown that it is not necessarily the fat that makes you overweight, so avoiding it isn’t going to result in the trim waistline you’re craving.

Further, there are many fats that are actually good for you (even if they’re calorie rich). Some of these include the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like coconut oil, avocados and certain nuts, for example.

The fats in these foods can actually promote fat-burn by kick-starting your metabolism.

If you buy that low-fat yoghurt thinking that it’s better for you, make sure that you’re not inadvertently consuming horrifically damaging additives like aspartame in place of the sugar you wanted to avoid.

The labels are always obscure and the additive names overly convoluted. That’s a bit of a give-away in itself: somebody, somewhere doesn’t want you to know what you’re consuming.

This is how the low-fat hype can perpetuate and profits can keep rolling in.

Such foods frequently leave you wanting more, and unless you’re disciplined, you may well end up eating even more to satiate the persistent cravings.

MedFanatic don’t advocate eating an excess of sugary foods as this can lead to candida overgrowth, and as you might imagine, obesity.

Eating Habit #3: Overindulging in ‘health foods’

Eating clean, organic, whole foods is undoubtedly a prudent health choice, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that because they’re not polluted with health destroying toxic pesticides, it’s OK to eat as much as you want.

At the end of the day, a carbohydrate is a carbohydrate, and will still convert into sugar in the blood… so if you eat too many carbs at lunch, you’re still going to gain weight (and possibly fall asleep at your desk mid-afternoon).

Likewise, you can get gluten, wheat and dairy-free cookies with natural sugar substitutes.

Although tasty, and a lot healthier than the usual junk, should you eat five packets in one hit? I think not.

A well-put-together smoothie makes a great breakfast, and when all the food is laid out before you blend it, you can see that it’s the equivalent of a fruit salad.

Once you blend it, you might get the feeling you’ve only had a drink for breakfast and convince yourself you need more.

If you have put the right things in, you won’t need any more, since clean and nutritious food stops your body from nagging you with food cravings afterwards.

Eating clean and organic can often mean you need even less food―so there is no need to overeat just because the foods are better for you.

At MedFanatic we always promote a clean and natural diet, but we still recommend that you are sensible about how much you consume each day.

If you’re not yet used to a diet of healthy foods, why not get started with a seasonal detox? You’ll soon notice the benefits and the transition into this way of life will be easy.

Eating Habit #4: Calorie counting

So overindulging is one thing, and calorie counting is the opposite end of that spectrum.

It might seem sensible, but really it isn’t that great an idea.

Most times, we tend to forget that what’s most important is the quality of the calories―not the quantity!

If you’re following a detox or diet program that requires calorie counting for a short period, sure―go ahead. But as a long-term practice it’s impractical, and quite stressful.

For a start, it’s hard work and takes a lot of mental energy to monitor.

Information on how many calories are in your foods can vary greatly and depend on the mass of the ingredients.

That’s something you can’t monitor if you’re eating in a restaurant, or munching on a ready meal at home.

Processed foods are a ‘no-no’ anyway, if you value your health.

Again, the simple answer is to eat healthy, organic, natural foods, and (as I mentioned in point 3) don’t go overboard on those either. This way there will be no need for the calculator.

MedFanatic is keen to see a healthier, more vibrant world and I know that one of the most important ways to cultivate this is through health… and that means healthy eating habits.

Check out our diet and healthy living section, which we update regularly with top tips and insights to keep you in the best health possible, all year around.