Changing your dietary and lifestyle habits to eat healthy is a big stride toward reducing your risk of chronic diseases. Abrupt or drastic changes in your eating habits and daily activities will leave you weak after a few days because your body has yet to fully adapt to your new behaviors.
Considerations
Healthy eating is a concept relative to your very own typical, daily diet. If you normally eat a doughnut and coffee for breakfast, a large order of a burger and fries for lunch, and then come home to a big plate of spaghetti your eating habits are quite unhealthy. Completely overhauling your diet in one day by eating oatmeal and egg whites for breakfast, a sandwich with wheat bread for lunch and chicken with asparagus for dinner is a step in the healthier direction. However, it is too big of a leap. This type of change will leave you weak in just a few days and will likely lead you right back to the coffee shop and fast food diner. Instead, make one or two changes every two to three weeks such as bringing your lunch from home for three days of the week and eating only half the size of your regular dinner every night.
Calories
Eating healthy generally means you are cutting back on the total number of calories you are eating on a daily basis. Cutting back by more than 500 calories per day is a significant amount of calories to take away especially if you are also increasing your level of physical activity or exercise. Enhance your energy levels as you improve your eating habits by writing down what you used to eat along with an estimated number of calories. Subtract no more than 500 calories from this estimation. Use this new number to create your healthy meals so you have plenty of energy.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrate-rich foods are the primary sources of energy for your body. If you have eliminated or drastically reduced the amount of carbohydrates you are eating, you will definitely feel weak within three days. Instead of cutting out too much carbs, eat a smaller serving. For instance, enjoy carbohydrates with your five to six small meals per day, but use a measuring cup to portion out a ½ cup of rice or a ½ cup of cooked noodles. Consider replacing carbohydrate-rich grains with carbohydrate-rich fruits in one or two of your meals.
Glycemic Index
The glycemic index of foods categorizes carbohydrate-rich foods according to how quickly the food raises your blood sugar. Foods with a glycemic index above 70 raise your blood sugar too quickly and cause your blood sugar to fall just as fast. Some carbohydrate-rich foods are considered healthy because they are low in fat, but such foods raise your blood sugar rapidly and have a high glycemic index. For example, pretzels are generally thought to be good for you, but have a glycemic index of 80. Bran flakes cereal, a plain baked potato and even a cup of fresh pineapple have a high glycemic index. Basically, foods with a high glycemic index cause your blood sugar and energy levels to decline quickly, leaving you with little energy. Instead, choose foods with a glycemic index of less than 55 such as cooked spaghetti noodles, cooked fettuccine noodles, apples, oranges and unsweetened apple juice; these foods will provide you with consistent energy so you will not feel weak after three days on a healthy diet.
References
- "Exercise Physiology, Energy, Nutrition & Human Performance"; William McArdle, Frank Katch and Victor Katch; 2007
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Your Clients Are What They Eat: Balancing Weight with Diet Part 1; Gary Miller, Ph.D.; January/February 2005
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Glycemic Index: An Educational Tool for Health and Fitness Professionals; Stephen Wong, Ph.D., et al.; November/December 2003
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