Eat what you love
We've long been led to believe that eating healthy requires giving up foods that we love. We now know that is far from true. I've found that the key to consistently eating healthy is to enjoy what you eat mindfully. Find a balance that works for you without feeling like you're depriving yourself.
Practice adding rather than taking
I noticed that whenever I took something away from my diet, I would become obsessed with it and soon find myself binging on that very thing (i.e. coffee flavored Haagen Dazs Ice Cream). To avoid feeling like I was depriving myself, I learned to trick my brain into thinking I was adding to my diet rather than taking away. I started adding servings of fruit desserts and fancy salads to my meals and slowly began to replace the daily servings of store-bought ice cream with something like homemade vegan avocado ice cream. The most important practice is consistency. Focus on small and consistent changes.
Lifestyle instead of dieting
There is countless research that shows how ineffective dieting can be long term. To ensure success in eating healthy, it's important to view it as a lifestyle rather than a temporary diet. Incorporate healthy eating habits that work well for your life and slowly add to it until you've achieved the right balance of health and happiness, and then work towards maintaining it. Remember, consistency is key!
