11 Healthy Eating Habits to Adopt

Shavuot is the second festival among the "Shalosh Regalim," occurring fifty days after Passover. It's also called Atzeret and serves essentially as the closing of Passover. This year, it marks the end of a historical period—no less—and it's a great time to define our life habits.

Here are 11 suggestions for habits you can choose to adopt and develop to manage your health and weight and enjoy the journey to your goal.

1. Focus on what to eat - The pandemic taught us to regain control over the food we eat at home. With no dining at restaurants or workplaces, it's a great opportunity to prepare nourishing and satisfying meals and improve your nutritional status. Incorporate more eggs, meat, chicken, fish, full-fat cheeses, vegetables, and healthy fats into your diet, and try to eliminate snacks, sweets, bread, and pastries.
2. Water - Stay hydrated by drinking water. Use apps to remind you, and avoid drinking sweetened beverages. Diet drinks should be limited (up to 2 cups a day).
3. Maintain an active lifestyle - Try taking short walks, park further from home, use the stairs, take the long path when walking the dog, walk to the store, and more.
4. Scheduled activity - Set a regular schedule for yourself: 150 minutes per week of walking, swimming, cycling, or any aerobic activity to maintain heart and blood vessel health. Additionally, it's recommended to incorporate strength training twice a week to maintain muscle mass and reduce insulin resistance.
5. Keep a food diary - This is the most effective tool for increasing eating awareness, yet many seldom use it. There are mobile apps that allow for calorie and nutrient tracking. Not interested in writing it down? Take photos of your meals with your phone—they will help you understand the meal's nature and calorie content.
6. Sit and eat - Eat only when seated, with a plate and utensils, and avoid eating food with your hands or while standing. This will save you many calories that sneak into your mouth unnoticed.
7. Smaller portion sizes - Eat from small packages and plates. People who eat from large packages consume about 30% more food. Serve your food on small plates, and you'll find you eat less.
8. Don't overly diversify - Diversifying your food choices is important for providing minerals and vitamins. However, too much variety will make you eat more. For instance, if you buy five types of nuts, you'll want to taste them all, resulting in many more calories (besides, it's better to mix nuts into a salad or as a meal dessert when you're seated at your plate. No eating with hands, remember?).
9. Ensure sufficient sleep - Lack of sleep affects your quality of life and makes it harder to perform tasks and function daily. There is a link between sleep disturbances and your blood pressure, weight, eating control, and overall health.
10. Reduce stress - Start your day with a short relaxation or end it with relaxation (if you have trouble sleeping, choose meditation before bed). There is a link between stress, weight, and health, and there are even studies stating that relaxation prevents mortality.
11. Be consistent and patient - Keep in mind that your brain loves habits because they allow it to operate "automatically." It will take time to reach this "automatic" state, but as you repeat actions (stop buying snacks or start walks at the beach), they will become habits that won't require special effort, and you might even find enjoyment in them. Have you returned to a previous habit? Don't despair, analyze what didn't work, and nurture the desired habit again. Succeeded? Great, move on to the next habit.

Dairy Cauliflower Casserole for Shavuot

Here is an easy and tasty casserole recipe you can prepare for the holiday.

Ingredients for the base:

1/3 cup sliced almonds

50 grams melted butter

Half a container of sour cream with 27% fat

Salt

Ingredients for the filling:

Half a cauliflower + half a broccoli blanched and drained (about 300 grams, may use frozen)/3 grated and drained zucchinis

1 egg

1 container 9% cottage cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1/3 cup grated mozzarella

100 grams 20% feta

Half a container of sour cream

Spices: white pepper and oregano (you can add a fresh herb, such as basil)

Preparation:

Mix the base ingredients and line a dish.

Mix the filling ingredients, place on top of the base. Garnish with black sesame seeds and some more Parmesan, and bake for 40 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

The result: 8 servings - 250 calories, 3.3 grams of carbohydrates, 1.3 grams of fiber, 11 grams of protein, and 22 grams of fat per serving.

Adina Bechar is a clinical dietitian at the DMC center for diabetes treatment.