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Crowding out is a simple daily practice that can change your life. Many people, including myself, have tried to change their diet cold-turkey, but failed and failed time again. Why? Because it doesn’t work! Have you ever tried to hold your breath under water for 10 minutes? Asking someone to change their diet over night after a lifetime of bad habits is like asking someone to hold their breath under water for a long time.
Your body was built in amazing ways with compensatory mechanisms that are meant to save your life. There are dozens of redundant systems that tell you to eat. However, what you can do is work up to weight-loss. The world’s longest record for someone holding their breath underwater is 22 minutes. We are capable of holding our breath for a long time, but we wouldn’t start there, right? We’d first start at 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, etc. Crowding out starts you off small. It gives you one step to becoming a better you. It gives you another step so you feel confident and capable to continue moving forward.
The principle of crowding out encourages you to add foods into the diet instead of taking food away. This helps you avoid the feelings of deprivation which can spiral you into survival mode. If you feel like you’re eating to survive, this is not a maintainable lifestyle. When you nourish yourself with foods high in micronutrients, you may naturally crowd out the foods that make you sick. Adding in more fresh fruits, vegetables, and water displaces the cravings of sugar, artificial food, and heavily processed food. Stop limiting yourself, and start thinking about ALL the possibilities of tasty foods that fuel your body!
Create a list of healthy foods that you enjoy and start adding them into your diet today!