Compulsive eaters take in just about anything. Unconsciously, they eat foods that have no nutritional values. JUNK! Most compulsive eaters are unaware of their diet. They find reasons to eat and justify their choices of food. Compulsive eaters find comfort in food. A hard day’s work filled with stress can often bring on an eating binge. Food is often used as a distraction from anxiety, rewarding the pleasure centre of the brain with eating. Abundant food is often the barometer of security and happiness of the compulsive eater.

Your food preferences vary from junk to gourmet. Food from the nearby fast food chain relieves the hunger pang. Premixed food preparations are often popped in the microwave oven to satisfy the craving. That food featured delectably on the food magazine becomes an obsession.

The imagination is often the enemy of the compulsive eater. The colors, images, smells, textures and taste of food will tease the compulsive eater, giving an anticipation of pleasure so strong that all determination fails. The smell triggers the saliva to activate the urge to eat. The taste will cause restlessness. The various textures and images leaves a feeling of want.

In the Bible, eating was not a problem two thousand years ago. Food was organically grown, and consumed at its prime freshness because there were no refrigerators. There were no food additives. The early church did not need adrenaline stimulants or fast energy giving drinks or beverages to get through the rigors of the daily tasks.

If Paul is alive today, he would definitely address the problem and would probably say that, “Junk foods are harmful to one’s body. With you as God’s steward, you must live in discipline and wisdom. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit so you must take good care of it.”

Your eating habits can increase or decrease compulsive eating. Here are some good habits that you need to develop:

Healthy Eating Habit 1: Prepare with Flair

Prepare meals with anticipation, creatively, with color, taste and smell that appeals to your senses. Instead of just chomping on a cantaloupe, cut it up into squares, chill it in the freezer for 15 minutes and serve it in an oval plate. Observe how different it feels when you add a bit of flair.

Healthy Eating Habit 2: Eat Hungry

We eat three times the amount of food we need to maintain health, and constantly eat without hunger. Most people eat a meal that could sustain an entire family in Africa for one day. Do not confuse natural hunger for cravings. A growling stomach with a ‘blah’ taste in the mouth is not hunger. Eating to relieve grumbling caused by gastric irritation will only leave you feeling sluggish and lethargic. Wait until you are hungry. You will not die of starvation. Most people have experienced true hunger only a few times in their life. Fighting hunger is like fighting Goliath. You put up a fight, he will run. If you are not hungry, do not eat. This is an opportunity to delay eating. Skip breakfast or the occasional meal and feel the intensity of your hunger build readiness.

During hunger, the sinuses clear, the stomach becomes ready and the sense of smell reaches its peak. Best of all, taste is enhanced. You will feel your salivary glands activating so that eating gives more satisfaction. A burst of energy and a feeling of well being is achieved if you eat healthy food. Wait until your body needs nutrition, eat raw foods, and chew your food well. If you eat this way, you will not have the desire to keep on eating. You will now be satisfied with smaller portions which is the way it should be. There will be times you will feel gastric irritation making you uncomfortable, eat small amounts of fruit or vegetable to help relieve it.

Healthy Eating Habit 3: Chew, Chew, and Chew

Learn to chew your food. It is better than swallowing. We make swallowing the big event, but it is in fact the anticlimax. Chewing is the build-up and it is the prelude to swallowing. As the digestive enzymes in the saliva start their work, the food changes flavor, and with each chew, explodes more taste sensations. Soft warm textures massage the tongue. Digestion starts in the mouth as well as contentment. Chewing greatly increases the health value of the food. Aim for thirty chews before swallowing.

Healthy Eating Habit 4: Eat Stress-Free

Learn to relax before a meal. Let go and be at peace before you eat. A plate of worry is bad for the belly. Turn on some relaxing music and take your meal to bed if you have to. Go outside if it is warm. Learn to slow down, do not rush, and enjoy each mouthful. Do not let your mind drift to problems and worries. If you are going to eat, stay focused. If you have to worry, stop and worry but limit yourself to a few minutes then get it out of your system. When you are ready to eat, be aware of the taste, be conscious of your breathing. Be alert on how the food feels in the stomach. Enjoy the experience as much as possible. The more you enjoy it, the more satisfied you will be.

Healthy Eating Habit 5: Feel Good as You Eat

Feel good about your achievement. You are eating health giving food with discipline. Be proud of that accomplishment. Take the time to enjoy being content with feeling full.

Healthy Eating Habit 6: Be Thankful

Count your blessings. Be thankful of what God has given you. Acknowledge Him by saying grace before meals. He loves you and is sustaining you. He is with you as you eat. Food has been brought from all over the world just for your benefit. It is a manifestation of His promise that He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Healthy Eating Habit 7: Love the Foods that Love You

Look at your food straight in the eye and ask questions: “Do you love me? Will you support my cells and care for me in old age? Are you loving my body or is your love artificial? Do you really love me or are you just flirting with my taste buds?” If you want to be healthy, love the foods that love you.

Healthy Eating Habit 8: Eat Simple

Simple food is healthy. The silkworm lives on mulberry leaves. The koala lives on eucalyptus leaves. Cows live on grass and do just fine. Humans are the only creatures in the known universe who eat every food type in one meal. The food industry makes intricate combinations that make digestion more difficult.. It is because of this that we burp, expel gas and abuse our colon by over-working it. Stomach ulcers are results of our carelessness. It is time we go back to the basics. Pretend you are in Eden and enjoy eating from one tree at a time. Aim for a simple and nutritious diet; your stomach will love you for it.

Healthy Eating Habit 9: Eat More Raw Food

Heating drastically alters the precious nutrients which our body needs. Cooking kills! As you drop your veggies into a pot of boiling water, listen closely. You can hear the enzymes screaming with pain as they die. That poor little enzyme was just trying to build your health. An 80% raw diet will provide you with optimum health. Give enzymes a break. Allow them to work into your body the proper way.

Healthy Eating Habit 10: Spice is not Nice

Excessive use of salt and white vinegar is addictive and hard on the stomach. Food becomes tasteless and bland without them. Use condiments in moderation.

Healthy Eating Habit 11: Savor the Food

Learn to enjoy and relish with gusto everything that you put into your mouth. Get those dopamine pleasure molecules working overtime by really savoring each bite. The more you enjoy the experience of healthy eating, the more satisfied you will be. The more you find contentment, the easier it will be for you to stay focused on healthy eating habits.