Healthy Habits

Only indulge in healthy habits.

Despite what many people claim, there are many healthy foods that are delicious. I mention in my book, The Three Rules to Lose Weight and Keep It Off Forever, that you should avoid voids that cause weight gain if they are habit-forming. For example, I became hooked after eating a single Sourdough Jack Burger in San Diego. Several times, after going weeks without one, I couldn’t stop eating the coffee cake at Starbucks. I went through the drive-through almost every weekday for weeks or months at a time.

I know myself. People ask me why I don’t cheat and have a dessert on vacation. My standard line is, “I don’t cheat on my wife, either.” If they press me, I tell them I might get addicted or at least develop a habit.

I do have treats, and some are habits. For the last couple weeks, I have added cocoa powder and stevia to tea or coffee, or both. Try it. I add a heaping teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder and a scoop of stevia. (I recommend pure stevia because there are no additives, like in the packets.) Trust me, you will love the taste. If you don’t, try it a few times before giving up. I will likely be drinking this every day for months. But, no harm is done. cocoa powder is healthy. It seems to have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. I have not found any significant risks of stevia. Tea and coffee have few downsides and many health benefits.

So, I have a habit of adding stevia and cocoa to my drinks. So what? By the way, I don’t consider it an addiction. I believe an addiction is when you never skip a day of something by accident. When I was running late for work, I skipped the coffee cake without any difficulty. People addicted to heroin never skip a day by accident. Additionally, my habit is not unhealthy, and may be beneficial.

Choose your habits. If there is any risk that you will keep eating something unhealthy or likely to make you gain weight, then don’t do it. Don’t have a bite of your kid’s Rocky Road ice cream. And never, ever have one of his french fries. It is always easier to avoid a habit than to break one. If you need a snack, find one that is healthier than a french fry: peanuts, other nuts, an apple, orange, or most any fruit, celery and hummus, and a personal favorite, unsweetened yogurt with cocoa powder and stevia.

This post probably seems obvious. Don’t eat fattening or unhealthy treats. That is not quite what I am saying. Sure, don’t eat them. But, find another treat that is healthy. Replace an unhealthy habit with a healthy one.

Lastly, I want to make an unrelated point about store-brand foods. Most of the time, I buy store-brand foods if they are less expensive. I don’t care what brand of diced tomatoes I put in the soup. Costco yogurt, almonds, walnuts, and olive oil are all fine with me. But I bought Target’s cocoa powder (in the photo) instead of Hershey’s or Nestlé, and I regret it. Hershey’s and Nestlé are several levels better. Only my frugality prevented me from throwing out the Target brand.