Healthy eating is an essential component of your overall health. Making healthy long-term adjustments to the food you eat can improve your blood pressure, decrease your levels of low-density lipoprotein (also known as “bad” cholesterol), bring you closer to a healthier weight, and provide you with more energy.
Unhealthy eating habits are a cause and contributor when it comes to many different types of health problems, including leading causes of death such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Bad dietary habits do not typically lead to immediate bad results, but instead cause cumulative damage to your health. Some examples of these habits include:
- Eating too quickly
- Eating when you aren’t hungry or past the point of feeling full
- Making sure to always eat everything on your plate, regardless of portion size
- Always eating an appetizer, dessert, or both
- Eating to relieve stress
- Skipping meals
It can be just as unhealthy to eat too little food as too much, as this can result in nutrient deficiencies, make you more prone to illness, and increase your risk of developing a variety of chronic conditions. Eating enough food can be challenging both for people who have developed unhealthy dietary habits and for people with chronic medical conditions that cause them to feel full faster or struggle to keep food down after eating.
No matter what dietary challenges you may experience, nutritional counseling can help you find the right balanced approach. This can involve:
- Helping you recognize unhealthy eating habits
- Teaching you strategies for breaking unhealthy habits and developing healthier ones
- Providing recommendations for foods and beverages that best fit your personal needs
Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s Integrative Health program places a strong emphasis on healthy eating and overall wellness. Our nutritional counselors can help you develop a healthy eating plan and provide recipes to boost your overall health. To learn more about our Queens, NYC nutritional counseling services, please call (718) 206-6914.