Take a look around your kitchen.
On a scale of 1 – 10, how easy would you say it is to be unhealthy in here?
For instance, a ‘10’ would look something like this:
- Cupboards bursting full to the brim with chocolate
- Takeaway menus poking out of all the drawers, enticing you with enthralling pictures of curries kebabs and pizzas
- Fridge full of convenience foods and cans of lager
- Multi-packs of crisps, next to the biscuit tin on the counter, right by the kettle.
Now ask yourself, how easy is it to eat healthily in here? If you wanted to whip up a smoothie for instance, would you have to go rooting about in a dusty forgotten-about cupboard, only to find it doesn’t have a plug on it? Do you even have a blender?
Is there a fruit bowl anywhere to be seen, and if so does it contain just a few shrivelled-up tangerines, possibly left over from Christmas?
Does the vegetable content of your fridge consist of a bag of French fries in the freezer and a half-eaten tin of baked beans?
If your goal is to lose weight and start eating a healthy diet, then one of the first and most important steps is to make sure you are supported by your environment.
So maybe now is a good time for a spring clean!
Eliminate all the junk foods from your cupboards. Throw a party if it helps get rid of all those bags of crisps and cakes.
The thing to remember is to have discipline when you’re at the supermarket. Make sure you’re not hungry (or thirsty) when you go, that way you will be less likely to fall for those attractive marketing displays of chocolate and biscuits.
Make a list beforehand of all the healthy foods you want to buy, and stick to it. Or you even shop online – that way you don’t have to walk past aisles of sweets and ice cream etc.
Fill your fridge and cupboards up with juicy delicious healthy food and make it as convenient as possible to eat it. Prepare snacks in advance in bulk, get the blender out, (put a plug on it), and feature it in pride of place.
Fill the fruit bowl up with a lovely selection of fresh bright colourful fruit (it will brighten up your kitchen much more than that multi-pack of crisps).
If you really MUST keep the biscuit tin, put it up in a really high cupboard, and make it a real nuisance to get any biscuits out.
You may live with people who do not share your goals of healthy eating, and be forced to live with constant temptation. In this case, some negotiation may be in order – or reserve the highest and most inconvenient cupboards and drawers for the foods that are most likely to entice you. Remember – out of sight, out of mind 😉
Make your kitchen space support the healthiest possible version of you.
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