Itz Holistically Wholesome

A good habit is a positive behavior that you continually practice until you become better at it. After a while, it becomes so ingrained inside you that you perform it without effort or thought. I have realized that once you are intentional about forming good habits, another usually follows it. Some examples of good practices are exercising, eating well, being kind, getting adequate sleep, and reading.

I made a significant shift in my lifestyle habits and choices only a few years ago, and from my experience, what I thought would be a grave challenge turned out not to be the case. For example, I knew I wanted to stop eating meat and its by-products, eat more natural foods and exercise more. So instead of going cold turkey all at once, I slowly began to eliminate things one at a time. The trick is to start with what you are most strong at; in the case of meat, it would be your least favorite. Mine were pork and beef, so they were the first to be discontinued. And because I did not care too much for it, it was easier than I thought. I then added a bowl of fresh salad or fruits to my day. Next was chicken; I loved fried chicken, curried, brown stewed, or chicken cooked until it broke apart in the soup; oh, how yummy these dishes tasted. I struggled, and for a while, I would still add the gravy to my rice whenever I had the urge to eat it, and gradually, I was over it and stopped altogether. The last to go was fish; I loved to eat fish and would have eaten it every day back then if I could. I made excuses to keep eating fish; I could not imagine my diet without it. But being that I had eliminated the others prior, this motivated me to continue on my path to a meat-free lifestyle, and before I knew it, I was eating 100% plant-based, which has remained so to date.

The same goes for anything else that you desire to do in life. Begin with what you know will not be too challenging to give up. By doing this, you close the door to failure or giving up and open doors for another positive habit, then another and another. So let us say that your goal is to be at a healthier weight; however, eating unhealthy food is your weakness, but you always love to exercise. Begin by exercising at least three days per week. After a while, you will begin to feel less sluggish, and your energy starts to peak compared to how you felt before. You may even notice that you tip the scale a bit and have lost a few pounds. This will encourage you to work out more, and you may feel it’s time to start adding more nutritious foods to your diet to get the best result. Combining exercise and eating better works well, so you continue because you like how you feel and look; trust me, you will look for other good habits you can form before you know it.

Change is sometimes hard, especially if we try to do it all at once. But by starting with what is easier for you, you will see yourself forming one good habit after the next.

Try it; what do you have to lose?

Be bless!