In general, this is how we start every year. And we all have the right to wish for new experiences, goals, and achievements (not least because the last 2 years have been very atypical for all of us). We want to change our energy, leave the past behind and experience new ideas.

Let’s do a little reflection exercise:

– Over the course of a year, how many times do you start something that you don’t finish?

– Do you find yourself coming up with new and good ideas, but find it hard to make them happen and/or stick to them?

I would love it if your answers were something like “I can accomplish the goals I set myself” or “I practice this task every day, continuously”. But let’s be honest, it’s very common to witness the opposite. Do you know how many people I see with motivation to change their diet? A lot. And how many are those who seek support from a Nutritionist? A few. And how many apply in their routine an adequate eating plan and start exercising, but after a while they stop taking care of themselves? A few. How many are those who manage to maintain these routines and good results, as far as weight management is concerned? Few. But they do! So what is it that differentiates these few from the many motivated ones? I’ll tell you: the creation of new habits!

Neuroscience (the field of study of the nervous system) tells us that if you repeat the same thoughts, choices, behaviors, and experiences you are forcing your cervix to repeat the same patterns and combinations daily.

(And just out of curiosity, did you know that 90% of our thoughts today are the same thoughts yesterday?)

Every time you learn or do something new, you create new synaptic connections in your brain. And when your brain works differently, you are changing your mind.

The key is to keep reminding yourself of that knowledge. So, by creating a new habit and practicing it every day, you are changing your mind. This implies new thoughts, which will lead you to make new choices, new behaviors, new experiences, new emotions and new thoughts.

In terms of nutrition, a very practical and simple example that can be observed during my nutrition consultations is building the habit of drinking water. The majority of the Portuguese population has a low daily water intake and this is largely due to the lack of habits in water intake. Once this habit is established – which takes some time and consistency – it becomes automatic for the individual to drink water daily. We just have to repeat the process so that the mind is “educated” to “ask” us for water.

If you too would like to create healthy and sustainable eating habits over time, Nutrisciente® will accompany your entire process of change, with various strategies to apply in your daily life, without effort or restrictions. Remember that “educating” the mind is the key!

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