Junk food is as easy to crave as it is terrible for your body. It may taste good, but eating it can make you feel bad afterward and can cause unhealthy effects on your body. While it may seem impossible to say no to tasty yet unhealthy food, there are ways to train your mind to dislike it. Here are some psychological tips to avoid junk food.
Figure out your weaknesses
When it comes to junk food, we all have different cravings. The first step to cutting down is understanding exactly which unhealthy foods you overindulge so that you can cut down on them. For example, if you love both chocolate and chips but you eat chocolate three times every day and only one serving of chips per week, then chips are probably not the problem. In this case, you should focus more on eating less chocolate.
Think about how much of each unhealthy food you eat per week and per day. It may help you to write it out. Once you figure out exactly which foods you overindulge, think of ways that you can cut down. For instance, if you find that your weakness is fast food, try to avoid going to those restaurants and nicely telling your loved ones that you would feel more comfortable eating at different types of restaurants.
If your weakness is the type of junk food that you eat at home, try finding alternatives for those unhealthy snacks. If you eat too much candy or ice cream, try eating fruit or yogurt as your dessert instead. If you have a weakness for chips, try replacing them with nuts or banana chips. If your problem is french fries, try substituting with zucchini or carrot fries. You can find healthier options to replace almost anything as long as you are willing to be open-minded.
Eat slower
Eating too fast will not make you feel any better. Take the time to chew slowly and enjoy your food. Think about what it tastes like as you chew it. Doing this will help you grow a stronger appreciation for how fresh your fruits and vegetables taste or how satisfying your sandwich tastes.
Chewing slower can even cause you to eat less. Your body will get used to this as you train your mind to take more time to fully appreciate your food. Try to chew for 20 minutes even if you are eating something small, and focus on thinking about what you enjoy about that particular food.
Learn more about your favorite junk foods
As good as they taste, the unhealthy foods that you love may contain some gross ingredients. There are plenty of videos and websites dedicated to exposing what goes into fast foods, and learning more about this may gross you out enough to turn you away from unhealthy food.
Start following these tips today to work your way up to a healthier diet. Just remember to be patient with yourself.
