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In psychology, there are basically five theories about learning, but today, we are going to talk about only one of them: experiential learning through experience and reflection. That's because we want you to learn and be fully aware of what, when, how, and how much you eat. And this learning is all experiential. Let's dig into it:
Have you ever considered how many food choices you make each day? You must be thinking between 15-20, but in reality a normal person made almost 221 food choices on daily basis. And it is not just our mere estimate, but is what research has found.
We make hundreds of decisions about our food every day- from having a simple breakfast to going out for dinner, from making our own coffee to selecting our favorite dessert; our decisions change from time to time, and so do the calories.
But what are the things that make you make such decisions? We are going deeper and will focus on more factors that determine what will be on your plate. There are two types of factors:
Internal Factors
Include dietary preferences, taste, appetite, hydration, cultural beliefs, and personal biases.
External Factors
Now let's discuss these factors one by one and not only this but we will also tell you some psych tricks and practical tricks along to make sure that these cues work for you rather than against you.
Convenience:
Have you ever noticed how much time you spend on your food? Not much, probably, because you have a busy schedule, right?
Most of us don't want to spend most of our time in meal preparation, grocery shopping, and cooking, which makes us drawn toward convenience food. You can find a large variety of already prepped meals at stores at low cost, but these all are high in calories and low in nutrients.
Psych Trick
Surround yourself with healthy food and carry some with you wherever you go, whether you are at work, at home, with friends, or in the car. Make sure that you have something healthy with you so you don't reach for unhealthy, convenient meals.
Practical Tip
Pleasure:
Food is not just to fill our stomach and reduce our hunger but it is a source of pleasure. A pleasure that can benefit both the body and the brain.
But what if this pleasure is taking you away from your goals? Yes, that can happen when you are finding your pleasure in the food which your mind wants but not needed by your body. The food you know you shouldn't eat but you are eating just to satisfy your inner elephant.
Psych Trick
Practice pleasure in your daily routine. Instead of looking for pleasure in your favorite dessert, look for other things you enjoy—your favorite music, a sport you like to play, or reading a book you like. If you don't incorporate little pleasurable things in your daily life, you may end up finding that pleasure in food.
Practical Tip
Visual appeal
You may have heard the phrase "eat with your eyes." Well, that's true. We eat with our mouths later and with our eyes first. If something looks good, you probably won't choose to eat it. On the other hand, if the food is appealing, you will not only enjoy it but also satisfy yourself.
Psych Trick
Make a rainbow plate, add colorful fruits and vegetables to your plate. The bold the color of the product the more good it is for your health. So whether you are having a pear, apple, or a pepper, choosing the bright one is a good idea.
Practical Tip
Time:
Time also plays an important role in our food choices. In the morning, you are all fresh and ready to start your day. You have rested well, and now the rider is in charge. This means all the healthy decisions for breakfast- boiled eggs, fruits, and vegetables.
But when it's dinner time, you have probably made hundreds of food decisions, and the rider is tired now. So the elephant takes charge, and he wants anything from the deep fryer or your favorite desserts. As the day passed, your food choices would be more driven by your inner elephant and less by the rider, resulting in decision fatigue.
Psych Trick
Try to plan ahead and prioritize your decisions. Plan your day ahead and focus on the things which are most important to you. This will help you make important decisions early in the day and avoid decision fatigue. Moreover, planning ahead will prevent you from making small decisions throughout the day.
Practical Tip
These are some of the tips and tricks which will hopefully improve some of your 221 food decisions you are going to make today.
Final Words
You have learned about both internal and external factors here, which influence the food that ends up on your plate. But when it comes to meals and snacks, our buddies, the elephant and rider, think differently, which also influences our food choices.
Rider care about health, hunger, habits, price, and weight loss, while elephants just focus on pleasure, visual appeal, taste, and convenience.
The tips and tricks we have mentioned above will keep your inner elephant in control and give it what it wants and also what the rider needs. So, your body and mind will both be at peace, and you can easily make healthy food choices.
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