If it tastes good, spit it out.
My grandfather used to say, "If it tastes good, spit it out." He was a man with an incredible sweet tooth, much like mine. He was also a great cook and a master of the spice drawer. His chicken dishes were crunchy and flavorful, a potpourri of garlic, onion, paprika, and thyme, never the same twice, that made his food scrumptious.
What I think he meant wasn't that healthy food isn't delicious; it's that the food that keeps us coming back past the point of full, our problem foods, our weaknesses—that's the food to spit out.
Food is a pleasure, and his idea that some food tastes too good speaks volumes about how we are targeted by the food industry, the retail industry, and the social media industry. They target our desire for easy pleasure using intense, fleeting opportunities to manipulate and addict us.
We don't want to consume excessive sugar, indulge in too much alcohol, spend our money on unnecessary garments and objects, or waste our lives scrolling through TikToks and Reels—but businesses spend billions on media and product development. Then they track us so they understand how best to exploit us and we struggle to resist.
If you want to eat, spend, and live your life on your own terms, you need a plan. You need to be clear about what and how much you choose to eat, spend, and scroll. You have to overtly battle systems set up to compromise your goals.
Here are some steps you can take to take control of your life:
1. Think First: Some people stick to a daily routine they learned as children or adopted as adults. Some of us just roll through life with no plan to get the stuff of life done. If you want to adopt a healthy routine to be the master of your domain, you need to develop daily routines—one for the morning and one for the evening. Otherwise, you're more likely to have your time, taste, and dollars co-opted by people with a plan.
2. Eliminate Unhealthy Temptations: If you're trying to adopt healthy habits, remove the unhealthy stuff, your weaknesses, from your home.
Food: Junk food- give it away or throw it away. If you can't bear to waste it, eat it up one last time, but don't buy it again. Fill your home with healthy food that you love. Don't give yourself limits on how much healthy food you can eat. Prepare easy, meal-sized food for when you are hungry and craving your favorites. Keep an enormous Tupperware of ready-to-go chopped salad that you can top with eggs, salmon burgers, tofu, beans, and tuna. It's delicious and quick. Or batches of soup. Over time, it becomes what you crave the most, and it only takes 15 minutes to an hour to prep for the whole week.
Spending: Unsubscribe, toss the catalogs at the post office, and adopt a year of not buying anything new but consumables.
Screens: Plug your phone into a charging station far from your bed, chair, or couch. Don't use it mindlessly.
3. Lean into Healthy Alternatives: Learn to love natural, simple, and quiet things.
Food: The natural flavors and sweetness of fruit becomes evident when you give up processed sugar. It’s impossible to overeat grapes. It takes three days to stop craving the highs from insulin rushes and another four to get into a rhythm. Once you give up sugar, it gets easier and easier. In time, you can allow yourself to enjoy sugar for special occasions like birthdays and holidays.
Spending: Practice better organizing and caring for all the beautiful things you already own. Practice buying secondhand, trading, or borrowing when you have a need. Keep a list of all the items you need or want. Rather than immediately ordering, put a seven-day hold on all purchases from when you identify a need to the time you fulfill it.
Screens: instead of scrolling, pick up an actual book. Reading off a page versus a phone or tablet is a more intense experience. It really helps with understanding, retention, attention span, and all-around focus. Download an app that helps you limit your screen time.
As you implement new controls on eating, spending, and scrolling, reflect on what works best and adjust over time. Remember, it's not about completely eliminating pleasure from your life, but rather finding a balance that works for you.
Here are some resources that can support you in your journey towards a healthier and happier life:
MyFitnessPal: A free app that helps you track your food intake and exercise, set goals, and measure progress.
Headspace: A meditation app that can help you reduce stress, improve focus, and increase happiness.
Goodreads: A social network for book lovers that can help you discover new books and track your reading progress.
Slowly: A pen pal app that encourages slow, thoughtful communication and helps you connect with people from around the world.
You Need a Budget: A free app that helps you track your spending, create budgets, and manage your finances.
AppBlock An app to stop you from endlessly scrolling.
These are just a few examples of the many resources available to support you in your journey towards a healthier and happier life. Remember, you don't have to do it alone. With the right tools and support, you can achieve your goals and live life on your own terms.
