PERSONAL HEALTH
Thinking about habitual eating thinking healthy
Jatun Neal
Shelly Howell is the author of “Don’t be a Wuss: Inspiration for a great life after 60.”
I’ve had an unhealthy relationship with food my entire life. I use it for everything. When I’m happy, I celebrate with food. When I’m frustrated, I distract myself with food. And when I’m low, I soothe myself with food. Combine these behaviors with the fact that my family has multiple traditions around food, and you see the problem. Quite simply, there are many of us who have some bad habits that involve food. Few of us were raised to see food as fuel and to eat only when we are hungry. And being overweight is a risk factor for multiple diseases from cancer to diabetes to heart disease. So, what do you do to manage your habits, lose weight and protect your health? I recently spoke with Jatun Neal, MFCS, RD, LD is a Registered Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist with the Atlanta VA Weight Management Program. “I have found that many habits stem from childhood or have developed as coping mechanisms. If you can identify your undesirable eating habits, then you can set up ways to avoid those triggers.” Some of the most common
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The Wine Habit 120 calories 2 glasses per night 4 nights per week 52 weeks per year 120 x 2 x 4 x 52 = 49,920 calories Equals 14 extra pounds in a year
(Substitute your favorite habit, whether it’s chips or ice cream or beer)
JUNE 2022 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
If you snack in the evenings, go for a walk, take a relaxing bath, or run errands so you’re not sitting on the sofa when you normally crave food. If you’re obsessed with cleaning your plate, reduce the size of the plate and give yourself smaller portions at home. food habits are: ■ Eating too fast ■ Always cleaning your plate ■ Eating when not hungry ■ Eating while standing up (may lead to eating mindlessly or too quickly) ■ Always eating dessert ■ Skipping meals (or maybe just breakfast) “The habit I see most often is emotional eating,” Neal said. “The emotion that triggers the habit will differ from person to person, but the outcome is usually the same: eating too much of high-calorie, lownutrient-dense foods.” One of my bad habits is drinking wine. I love a glass of wine with dinner, which invariably turns into two glasses. And let’s not even talk about the glass that I sometimes pour myself as I’m cooking a meal. Stop for a moment and do the math on one of your bad habits. Unchecked, my wine habit can lead to 240 calories
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