HEALTH GUIDE: EATING

Hello Steemians, today i'm going to be talking about Healthy eating. It's something everyone knows they should do, but few of us do as consistently as we would like. The purpose of this guide is to share practical strategies for how to eat healthy and break down the science of why we often fail to do so.

Now, I don't claim to have a perfect diet, but my research and writing on behavioral psychology and habit formation has helped me develop a few simple strategies for building and strengthening a healthy eating habit without much effort or thought.

1. The Science Behind Healthy Eating
   The first thing we ask ourselves is that 'WHY DO WE CRAVE FOR JUNK FOOD'?
   When you eat tasty food, there are two factors that make the experience pleasurable.

First, there is the sensation of eating the food. This includes what it tastes like (salty, sweet, umami, etc.), what it smells like, and how it feels in your mouth. This last quality — known as “orosensation” — can be particularly important. Food companies will spend millions of dollars to discover the most satisfying level of crunch in a potato chip. Food scientists will test for the perfect amount of fizzle in a soda. These elements all combine to create the sensation that your brain associates with a particular food or drink.

The second factor is the actual macronutrient makeup of the food — the blend of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates that it contains. In the case of junk food, food manufacturers are looking for a perfect combination of salt, sugar, and fat that excites your brain and gets you coming back for more.

1. How to Make Healthy Eating Easier
   The question you ask yourself here is WHAT SHOULD I EAT
   This is not a guide about what to eat. It's a guide about why we eat the way we do and how to do something about it. That said, I'll offer two suggestions regarding what to put on your plate.

2. Eat more greens. There isn't a consensus on the best diet, but pretty much everyone agrees on one thing: eat more veggies. You'll be hard-pressed to find a single diet that doesn't think eating more plants is a good idea.

3. Eat a variety of foods. As we covered earlier, the brain craves novelty. While you may not be able to replicate the crunchy/creamy contrast of an Oreo, you can vary your diet enough to keep things interesting. For example, you could dip a carrot (crunchy) in some hummus (creamy) and get a novel sensation. Similarly, finding ways to add new spices and flavors to your dishes can make eating healthy foods a more desirable experience.

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be bland. Mix up your foods to get different sensations and you may find it easier than eating the same foods over and over again.
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