Many of our eating habits are linked to visual cues in our physical environment.
Slim By Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life is a book written by Dr. Brian Wansink, an expert on eating habits.
In his book, he discusses a study in which he found that the average woman who kept breakfast cereal on her counter weighed twenty-one pounds more than a woman who did not.
This same study also found that a woman who kept soda on her counter was twenty-nine pounds heavier, on average, than a woman who did not.
If you want to improve your eating habits, you should make healthier foods more visible, more accessible, and more convenient.
In addition, make unhealthier foods less visible, less accessible, and less convenient.
Ideally, you would remove all heavily processed items from your kitchen and any other location that you frequent. This removes the visual triggers that initiate many poor eating habits.
Out of sight, out of body.
If you are not willing to rid your kitchen of junk food (or if you are worried that might lead to a revolt by the people that you live with), you could banish unhealthy items to a less convenient location, like a hallway closet or a mini-fridge in your basement.
Save the prime real estate in your kitchen for healthier products.
Make nutritious foods more visible by storing them in plastic wrap or clear containers and by placing them in the front of any places where you store foods and drinks. You could also keep healthier items on your counter.
Another one of Dr. Wansink’s studies found that a woman with a fruit bowl on the counter weighed seven pounds less, on average, than one who did not have one.
About the Author
Pete Leibman is a well-being and peak performance expert and the Founder of Arlington Sports Conditioning (ASC). Over the last 15+ years, Pete has helped thousands of people get faster, stronger, and fitter. Pete is the author of two books and more than 300 articles. His work has been featured through Fox, CBS, Fortune, Business Insider, and many others.
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