Improve Your Eating Habits for 2023 With These Tips – If your New Year’s Resolution is healthier eating, we’ve got you covered! Our friends at the Tuscarawas County Health Department have some very do-able advice on seeing progress with healthier eating habits. Find out the tips right here on Newsymom!

This is Public Health is brought to you in partnership with the Tuscarawas County Health Department.

One of the top New Year’s Resolutions is a mission to have healthier eating habits. For each person, this could be radically different!

For some, maybe the goal is “Eliminate all fast food eating.” Another one could be, “Try [insert fad diet here] to lose weight for my [big event here]”. Some could even be simpler, such as “No more drinking soft drinks and stick to healthier juices or water.”

The Tuscarawas County Health Department wants to let you in on a little secret to eating healthy this year, courtesy of the CDC:

Reflect. Replace. Reinforce.

Step 1: Reflect

Take the time to really pay attention to what’s going into your body. Use these tips to help you reflect on your eating habits (what you’re eating, how you’re eating, and “cues” that lead to unhealthy weight gain).

• Make a food diary! Create a log of everything you eat and drink throughout the day, noting “cues” of when you eat. (Is there a particular time you reach for snacks? Such as, after a stressful meeting?) Highlight the times you eat that may be due to overeating!
• Also be aware of these following eating habits…
  • Eating too fast
  • Always cleaning off your plate (even when you’re full)
  • Eating when you aren’t hungry
  • Standing up while eating
  • Skipping meals
• …And these “cues”!
  • Opening the cabinet and seeing your fave snack
  • Watching tv or scrolling through videos on your phone
  • Before or after times of peak stress (meetings, phone calls, work)
  • Feeling bored and thinking food will offer a “pick-me-up”

Step 2: Replace

The next step is about replacing your unhealthy habits with better ones! For example:

• If you eat too fast, try setting your fork down after every bite to force you to take it slower. Or try drinking a glass of water before your meal so you have less room in your stomach!
• Minimize distractions when eating. (i.e. Get rid of mindless eating as much as possible.)
• Plan your meals as much as possible, and only eat until you’re full! (Don’t overeat.)

Step 3: Reinforce

The final piece is the most important. Reinforce your new habits by giving yourself grace! Don’t feel guilty if you overindulge in some chocolate one time because your period is incoming. Do not feel sorry if you went through the whole bag of chips, rather than a serving size. Habits take time to develop, so give yourself grace and make it a goal to see progress rather than perfection.

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Did you know the Tuscarawas County Health Department takes complaints for food service/retail food establishments online?!

If you suspect some unsafe food handling practices or experience food poisoning at a food establishment, put in a complaint online by clicking this link: Tuscarawas County Health Dept.Food Service / Retail Food Establishment Complaint Form

The Tuscarawas County Health Department encourages you to have a healthier year through better eating habits! Call them at (330) 343-5555 x. 100 to schedule physicals, vaccinations, and much more! You can also visit them at www.tchdnow.org to see what other services they offer you and your whole family.

Make sure to follow along on Facebook (@tchdnow) for the latest news and safety tips to help you eat healthier, delicious, and nutritious foods!

Melissa Klatt

Reporting