It may throw you off, but retail, diet, and mental health are all connected. This is a cycle that manifests in fascinating ways. Psychologists believe that there is a start correlation between the three activities. Money management and dietary practices go hand-in-hand, and how the two make us feel, directly constitutes our overall mental health.
It is important to stay in touch with mental health and its aspects and there is a lot one can learn through online journals research and surveys. Two imperative elements for this kind of self-study are willful concentration and a steady internet connection.
While the former comes from within, Xfinity Customer Service helps you achieve the latter through their 24/7 availability to solve your connectivity issues. So, you can go online anytime with their internet plan and anywhere with their 4 Million Wi-Fi hotspots.
Psychological Effect of Retail Therapy
It is no surprise that humans love retail therapy. The adrenaline rush they get from splurging on their favorite branded items is priceless and unique. One major advantage of retail therapy is the way it helps you fight off sad emotions.
A paper published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology in 2014 stated that shopping helps alleviate feelings of helplessness and sadness and restores a sense of control. In another survey, it was found that sad people spent 30% more money buying a certain product, as compared to ones in a neutral mood.
While sadness is one cause of splurging, other factors in the environment cause the feeling of helplessness and lack of self-control. Another study shows that consumers buy and spend significantly more when they are in a crowded store, as opposed to an un-crowded store. Furthermore, cluttered store shelves subconsciously push you to hoard things.
Experts believe about 40% of people are more likely to spend extra money when the shopping experience is personalized. This data answers lots of questions, especially the one about spending more on branded items.
Owning branded products has become a status symbol and people are willing to go to any length to achieve it. They do not hesitate to overspend on branded shoes, bags, clothes, and similar items because it associates them with a certain class and makes them look presentable in society.
Impact of Splurging on Dietary Choices
Although splurging on luxuries is acceptable the major drawback of this ritual is the people’s negligence towards their health and food choices. Where they are willing to spend huge amounts to own a branded item, they do not bother to invest in their health.
Numerous surveys have been conducted to address this issue and many underlying reasons have been discovered that cause this problem. For instance, people’s taste buds are accustomed to a certain type of food. So a change in diet, no matter how healthy it is, will not feel very pleasant.
Everything takes time and so do the taste buds to re-adjust to the new diet, but not many people have that kind of time and patience, so they continue with poor food choices. Another reason is that people rely on convenience, and they drop the idea if it is not convenient.
Once people have to picture all the convenient and tasty food options they would have to give up makes them reluctant to adopt healthy food choices. The drawback to the modern lifestyle is that people never have enough time, not even for self-maintenance. Paying attention to your diet, adopting healthy food choices, and looking up premium quality food sources requires time that most people lack.
What goes inside our body does not show its results instantly like wearing a good dress or carrying an infamous brand’s bag does. Hence, people are not willing to put in the same effort in planning their grocery lists and eating plans.
They take up the easy options available, no matter the damage it will cause in the long term. No wonder fast food has gained such popularity in a very short time because it is easily available, delicious, and pocket-friendly. Eating salad or fruits and including all food groups in your diet is a hassle.
Furthermore, the pandemic, in a way, has helped people mend their ways of life. When people were restricted to their homes and had ample time to contemplate their food choices, they realized what they were doing to their bodies.
Closure to fast-food restaurants also aided this thought. However, the overall result was people getting conscious about their food intake and adopting a healthy diet. Now we see more and more people trying to plan their meals healthily.
Newfound Accessibility to Fresh Produce
People’s changing needs and demands gave rise to the inception of new businesses that took up the task of delivering fresh fruits and vegetables to people’s doorstep. While it provided some people with a job opportunity, it also helped many to meet their needs without stepping out.
Today, countless online services procure fresh and organic vegetables and fruits from farmers and deliver them directly to consumers’ homes. These commodities are fresh and organic, giving immense benefits to the consumers.
Conclusion
We have all heard about treating your body like a temple, but few of us act on it. The important thing to consider is that the correct choices will not always be easy to come by. We will have to make a conscious effort to make healthier choices when it comes to retail and diet.
Diet culture has introduced the trends of fad diets and restrictive eating to a whole new generation. This has hindered many people from consistently maintaining a healthy and balanced diet.
As a response to the toxicity of diet culture, people are rejecting dangerous eating habits and adopting a less aggressive approach to food known as mindful and intuitive eating.
WebMD describes intuitive eating as “making peace with all types of food”, and in simple terms, it can mean feeding your body what you feel it needs whenever it needs it.
To eat intuitively, many people prefer to make their cravings at home as they know exactly what is in their food and they can add things to taste such as salt or more sauce if applicable. Cooking at home is easy for most, as we all have mental notes of where our ingredients are kept in the fridge and cupboards. Where it becomes difficult is when eating out.
Eating intuitively when you’re out isn’t so hard. If you are feeling like cake, you can find cake! However, if you’re trying to eat mindfully in certain locations, this can pose a problem. Some people feel that mindful eating out can impact their social lives. After all, if your friends are all going for fast food, it can be difficult to find something on the menu you can consider to be healthy! Or, in social outings at bars and casinos, for example, there aren’t always the most affordable healthy foods, so scouring the menu for these options can be annoying.
However, the casino industry has become very adaptable to new trends and to people’s needs. For example, online poker in Australia has evolved into providing a range of new tournaments and a variety of traditional poker games, and of course, playing online means the choices for food and drink are down to the player. As well as adapting to ways of playing, casinos across the world have adapted to the movement of mindful eating and alternative diets and offer new dishes based on the culture of the region and these new requirements.
For those looking to dine out during a fun night at the casino, have no fear, as we will be breaking down how to dine mindfully at the casino and some of the easier options to pick to stay on track.
Look at the casino’s food menu online
The most obvious resource for research on mindful dining at the casino is their online menu. If the website doesn’t display PDFs of their menu, try looking on Trip Advisor or OpenTable to see if an updated one exists. Most casino websites will have their menus linked with prices online, but this is a good option otherwise.
Secondly, study the details of each menu. Make sure for those who find something they like that the food isn’t seasonal or looks different to how it should be. Alternatively, use the most trustworthy tourist and restaurant review sites to try and find pictures of the food. What’s on their Instagram may not always be factual in terms of how the food looks!
Individuals should make sure they consult their dietary needs and restrictions when reading the menu. For example, for those who are vegan or vegetarian, check if there are options available on the menu or if the casino can accommodate if needed. Alternatively, they can ask for dish modifications if there is something nice on the menu but they have an allergy or a different diet.
Balance food choices
Balancing the metaphorical scales of a person’s diet is the easiest way to enjoy the dining experience without becoming too preoccupied with what one is going to eat. Consider portions and what food to eat, and see if it fits into the casino menu. For table games, gamblers will not want to be too full as they will need all their mental strength to assess those opponents’ next moves!
When dining out in groups, sharing starters and desserts is the easiest way to save on cost and to eat mindfully while trying a bunch of dishes. Casinos often serve snacks, so consider a bowl of olives or some chips to share for that salty and savory kick!
Keep an eagle eye on the buffet
Now, this will probably appeal to casinos that don’t have Michelin-star restaurants, but it is worth noting for those who happen to go to a casino with a buffet. Popular casinos often have buffets to house large parties and cater to dietary restrictions and different tastes and from starters to sweet treats . For those dining at one, first, take a plate and walk around each section of the buffet. Make sure to take note of the allergens for each dish and consider whether the buffet has enough nutrient-dense foods available. If not, it might be good to skip the main dishes at the buffet and stick to smaller snacks.
It is important to consider nutrition as many casino buffets are often themed in their food. For example in Las Vegas, the best buffets in the casinos aren’t always the healthiest, serving fried or cuisine-specific foods, however, we are sure that they will have at least something for everyone!
Hydrate the body
Navigating intense casino games can be thirsty work, especially for those on a winning streak! Frequent casino goers should stay hydrated throughout their casino visits. It has been shown that a lack of hydration can significantly reduce one’s ability to concentrate efficiently and perform cognitive tasks which is not great for those playing strategy-based casino games!
Of course, the casino is often a place for social casino goers to enjoy a drink or two at the casino bar. Those who indulge this way should try to consume water between alcoholic drinks to avoid an increased level of dehydration. Nobody wants to throw off their game, do they?
