Have you ever gotten home from a rough day and all you wanted to do was grab a pint of ice cream and binge-watch Netflix? Well, you’re not the only junk food junkie out here.

 

It seems to have become the social norm to treat negative emotions by harming our health. It’s time to change that! Making healthy food choices when you are feeling down is going to help you get out of that slump.

 

I am here to help convince you, and your pesky subconscious mind, to make food choices that will support a healthy body and a happy mind.

 

I have changed my views on food to make better choices, especially when I am not feeling 100%. It has helped me eradicate my health issues and feel AMAZING!

 

Now, I want to pass on the tools that have helped me so that you can start living a healthier life too!

 

First, let’s get on the same page about something…

 

What is Junk Food?

 

Well, junk is something that is considered useless or of little value. So, junk food is food that has little value to your body.

 

A large percentage of the “foods” that are consumed in the American diet are pretty useless. Food is meant to nourish our body with everything that it needs.

 

Highly processed foods full of sugar and chemicals, frankly shouldn’t even be classified as food. They take a HUGE toll on our bodies because our bodies are not designed to process them.

 

The potential health risks from consuming these foods range from high blood pressure, and diabetes, to cancer. If these “foods” are causing so many problems, why do we consider them a reward?

 

 

1. Understand the problem with junk food

 

If these processed foods are so horrible for our bodies, why do we associate them with feelings of pleasure?

 

Well, because of the way that sugar and processed chemicals interact with your neurotransmitters, they convince you that they are making you feel better by causing a momentary increase in serotonin.

 

Once this is over, however, you will feel worse than you did before.

 

Many of the chemicals found in processed foods are designed to be addictive. These addictive compounds convince you that they are fixing your problem while making it worse, just like drugs.

 

 

2. Change your frame of mind

Right now, like most people, you probably associate junk food with pleasure. As we talked about before, this is by design.

 

Producers of processed food have designed it to be more addictive. So, how do you break free of this addictive thought pattern? The same way you overcome any addiction– realize that it is tricking you into thinking it is helping you while making you feel worse.

 

So, how do you do that?

 

At the risk of sparking annoying childhood flashbacks…YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT.

 

I mean this literally.

 

According to Harvard Health, “Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food”

 

“Eating high-quality foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the brain and protects it from oxidative stress — the “waste” (free radicals) produced when the body uses oxygen, which can damage cells.”

 

Yes, eating high-quality foods affects all areas of the body, including your brain chemistry. So reaching for a healthy snack instead of a sugary, processed treat will affect your brain and boost your mood!

 

Learn more about, “How Food Can Affect Your Brain” from Genomind.

 

Next time you are feeling down and want to reach for your favorite comfort food, try munching on an apple or some rice cakes with natural peanut butter and banana instead. I guarantee that it will help you feel better.

 

Once you feel for yourself how much better you feel when eating whole foods instead of processed chemicals, you will be eager to reach for those healthier options more often.

 

 

3. Delayed Gratification

 

We live in a society that idolizes things that will bring you instant gratification. And, I don’t blame us. Who wouldn’t want to feel better right now?

 

But, that comes at a cost. By reaching for the easy fix now, we jeopardize our well-being in the future.

 

Things that bring you instant gratification will rarely benefit you in the long run. It has been scientifically proven that we are biologically wired to receive a greater reward from our neurochemistry by choosing delayed gratification.

 

That means that things like reaching for a healthy snack instead of junk food and going to the gym instead of sitting on the couch binge-watching Netflix are going to set you up for success in your day-to-day life.

 

You are going to have more energy, less stress, and more happiness.

 

Start striving to do the things that are going to support your health and happiness in the long run. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.

 

Some days are going to be easy and some not so much. You are going to make mistakes, and that is OKAY!

 

 

4. Don’t be so hard on yourself, junk food is REALLY tempting!

 

We all make mistakes. Let me say that again so that you hear it. WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES.

 

Beating yourself up about eating some junk food, maybe even binging, is only going to make you feel worse. And that is only going to make you want more junk food!

 

The key to developing healthier habits is being so in love with your body and so dedicated to your happiness that you don’t want to do anything to hurt yourself!

 

If you slip up, don’t beat yourself up. Just acknowledge that you are learning and growing. Keep your head up and stay focused on taking care of yourself.

 

Next, learn “How to Stop Eating Junk Food for Good” plus get healthy junk food recipes.