8 Worst Eating Habits You Need to Give Up Now

With our day-to-day hectic routine, none of us can eat properly and peacefully. Some consume too much food, and some consume too little. But many are unaware of the fact that a few bad eating habits can lead to weight gain, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and many other health issues. As kids, we used to have a proper eating routine but growing up took a huge toll on us. We have gathered a few worst eating habits that you need to give up immediately to promote a healthy life. These habits don’t show their negative effects immediately but when they do, they might get out of control. Read on.

Lack of meal planning

Most of us have no proper planning for how we are going to consume our daily meals. Lack of time leads to takeaways and pizza delivery. But our body needs a strict routine to function properly. Take out at least an hour once a week and plan how you are going to consume food for the week. Try avoiding drive-thrus and deliveries as much as possible. Planning will help you remain healthy and, on the plus side, will save you lots of money.

Lots of junk food

Someone is lying if he or she says that he or she does not like junk foods. With us being so busy with our work lives, we end up eating fast food most of the time. Well, not only weight gain, but this habit also leads to a lot of other health issues that we are unaware of. Restaurant foods have super-sized portions, lots of calories, and sodium. To avoid these, try making as many dishes as possible at home. If you get bored with them, try making some fancy dishes. Eating junk food can never be totally avoided, but try to limit yourselves and treat yourselves to your favourite fast food only once or twice a week.

Processed foods being the lifesaver

Process foods are easily the best invention, aren’t they? If you need something to munch on while watching movies, you have popcorn. If you need some snacks, you have chips and chocolates. But you have no idea what these processed foods are doing to your body. Though these taste delicious, processed foods contain a huge amount of sugar, salt, and fat, which lead to weight gain, diabetes, cholesterol, and a lot more things. These foods are practically deprived of all the nutrients. Instead of processed food, go for fresh and whole foods for snacking. For example, if you want a glass of orange juice, instead of buying processed juice from the market, buy a few oranges and make the juice. It’s a lot healthier.

Mindless eating

Hunger is not the only reason for which we eat. We grab some food while we are bored, tired, or stressed out as well, and this is called mindless eating. Also, research shows that we consume a lot more food while eating from a large dish. To avoid this, think if you are really hungry or not. Check how your stomach feels and whether it is full or not. Do not consume food if your stomach feels full. Choose a smaller plate to consume the appropriate amount of food. Swap your dinner plates with salad plates and never eat right from the package. Chew each bite of the food properly and slowly.

Eating too quickly

Accept that most of us eat our meals at a lightning speed. When we have assignments pending, we finish our lunch or dinner in like 10 minutes or we have a client to meet, we just eat our meals in the car. Stop these right now. Your health is before everything. Eating too quickly does not let our brain catch up with it. It takes the brain 15 to 20 minutes to signal that we are full, and we end up eating too much when eating very quickly. To avoid this, take at least 20 minutes to finish a meal. Put your spoon down after each bite. Chew each bite properly and drink water throughout the meal.

Night-time snacking

Hands down, all of us are guilty of searching for food in our fridges at night. This is one of the biggest reasons that we are unable to lose weight. Nighttime noshing leads to gaining weight and an increased Body Mass Index (BMI). Eating at night after dinner might also lead to a slowed metabolism and indigestion. To avoid this, never skip your dinner. After dinner, brush your teeth because a cleaned mouth reduces cravings. If you are still craving food, wait for 10 minutes. If it does not go away, eat something light like a fruit or a biscuit.

Skipping breakfast

All of us know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Yet it is the meal we skip the most. Skipping breakfast most of the time leads to heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, and even migraines. Breakfast breaks the fast period that continues from the night. It boosts the energy level by enhancing glucose and helps with metabolism. So, stop skipping your breakfast now. Get up early if you think you are not able to take time out for breakfast. If you are in a hurry, don’t skip the morning meal; instead, go for something light like yogurt, fruit, or smoothies.

Emotional eating

We have all heard that eating helps when you are emotional. Research says that emotions, be they positive or negative, can lead us to eat a lot more. We have all seen movies where people eat ice creams and chocolates when depressed and we surely get inspired by it. But do not do it. It leads to weight gain. Avoid emotional eating as much as possible. Get yourself busy with something you love to do when you are stressed or depressed.