If you are like most people, you probably do not follow very healthy eating habits. But now you want to change all that, because you read my recent article in Street Articles about how to use aerobic exercise to have a healthy body and a healthy heart.

In that article, you found out that if you exercise hard without following a healthy diet, you are defeating your purpose, and pretty much wasting a lot of effort.

But, if you currently do not follow a healthy diet, you will have to find a way to overcome the obstacles in making the change. I have personally made major changes in my eating habits in the recent past. I found that the only thing that works for me is to start with a complete mental and emotional change towards your food intake.

You cannot "muscle" your way into a major change like this. In other words, you cannot change by exerting a burst of will power. It has to come from within. You must get to the point that for whatever reason that is important to you, like health concerns, fear of a heart attack; or if you are young, because you want to be healthy and more attractive to the opposite sex, whatever the reasons, they must be your reasons, and they must carry weight in your own mind.

I found that this is the only way that works for me.

When you get to this point of inner commitment, you will find that making the change to healthy eating is not hard. You will still have to deal with your past eating habits, but you will find that these past habits are just a nuisance you must work around.

As a beginning step, you may want to take inventory of the foods you have at home, and those you were planning to buy on the next trip to the supermarket. The next step will be to clear your pantry of the previous food. Just put all of it in boxes, and call your favorite charity. They will be happy to get your gift.

Don't wait till their scheduled run through your neighborhood. Make the trip to their offices and deliver the food yourself. Just get rid of it now. Do not put it off.

By physically going to all this trouble you will imprint in your mind that you have broken with your old way of eating. Those foods are simply not acceptable any more. You will feel relief at having them out of your house, and out of your life.

To avoid getting hungry during the day, you should switch to eating five or six small meals per day. In this manner, just about the time you start feeling hungry, it’s time for your next small meal. You will be eating a small meal about every two and a half to three hours.

You should also have healthy snacks like fresh vegetables, and fresh fruit of your choice.

In the beginning, you will have to deal with cravings for certain foods. Fortunately, as time passes, especially if you adopt the five to six small meals a day plan, you will find that your cravings subside, and eventually all but disappear.

You have to be smart about your snacks so you don't undo the great healthy changes you are making.

It's important that you read the food labels so you know what's in those "healthy" substitutes you come up with yourself. Avoid the suggestions of the food industry. The majority of their "healthy alternatives" are loaded with preservatives and other chemicals, and may also be loaded with fat and sugar.

Most people know that fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products are good for you. You should learn as much as you can about the reasons why.

You want to learn as much as you can about nutrition, without attempting to know what a nutritionist knows after going to college for six years.

You should make every attempt, especially in the beginning, to make this change in eating habits and food choices as much of an adventure as you can.

And whatever you do, make sure that the healthy foods you select are to your liking. You have to enjoy whatever food you eat. Otherwise, your healthy lifestyle change will be short-lived.