by Barbara Mitchell

Created on: May 23, 2009   Last Updated: May 29, 2009

It was Aristotle who said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit." Leaving excellence out of the equation, let's focus on repeating something until it becomes a habit. It sounds hard, but it's really not. Examine your eating habits now (notice I said "habits"). Are you happy with them, or do they need improvement?

Here are five healthy eating behaviors you may want to practice until they become habits:

1. Choose Wisely, Grasshopper (A.k.a. Stock Your Kitchen With Healthy Foods)

Pack your kitchen with healthy foods. If you're not quite sure what makes a food "healthy", then do some online research. (Things like nuts, seeds, yogurt, and fresh produce are are all good choices.)

2. Avoid Eating Out Speed Traps (Fast Food - Be Choosy)

A salad may be the most obvious healthy choice, but if you find yourself cringing at having to eat another bowl of lettuce, then at least pick something comparable (think sub sandwich - half portion, please, grilled chicken, or Chinese food). You can find the nutritional value of food items at some fast food restaurants now or check online. Who said eating healthy has to be hard?

3. When It's Good to Be a Control Freak (As In Portion Control)

If you find yourself eating like there's no tomorrow, check up on how much you are consuming at one sitting. Your stomach might be stretched out from overeating (yes, it happens). Practice portion control. Do this by cutting back on the amount you eat at each meal. Eventually, your stomach should return to its normal size. You will soon find yourself eating less at each sitting, which is definitely a healthy eating behavior to get into.

4. Are you an Addict? (What Foods Do You Find Yourself Eating Every Day?)

If you find you just can't live without eating a certain food each day, you may be allergic to it. Our bodies seem to crave things that are bad for us. Some common foods that can cause allergies are dairy products (like milk), wheat products, (like pastas, breads, and cereals), nuts (including peanut butter), eggs, fish (especially seafood), and soy products.

If you do have a food allergy, you are compromising your immune system by constantly indulging. Stop the abusive behavior and you should see an improvement in any allergy-related symptoms you may have (like runny nose, stomach pain, or fuzzy thinking).

5. Running on Empty (Eat To Build Your Body, Not Break It Down!)

How many empty calories do you consume in a day? No I don't mean foods with NO calories, just foods that aren't contributing to your well being (things like sodas, cookies, chips, and donuts). Sure they contribute to you (your hips and thighs), but not in a good way. Do yourself a favor and LIMIT these foods. They're not your friends. If you do, you'll be on your way to developing another healthy eating behavior.

The majority of what you eat should be h-e-a-l-t-h-y. To keep from feeling deprived, you may want to indulge in a forbidden treat every now and then. Remember to take it easy though. Show your body you care by developing healthy eating behaviors. If you don't care about your body and its health, who will?

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