Make Eating Simple
Healthy European Diet - Look At All the Colors.... (Photo credit: epSos.de) |
Don't Make an Off-Limits List
Try not to think of certain foods as “off-limits,” rather cut your portion sizes in half or allow a favorite food less often. This allows you to keep the foods you like while still making healthier choices. When you ban certain food groups, it can backfire. You could end up craving those foods even more. Then when you give in to temptation, you feel like a failure and the downward spiral begins. If you over-do it, don't beat yourself up, just get up and make the next choice a healthy one. If you can't resist that chocolate chip cookie, just follow it up with a large glass of cold water or milk, and make sure dinner consists of super-healthy choices with extra servings of crunchy vegetables.
Eat Socially
Whenever possible, eat with others. Eating in a group setting allows for healthy eating habits, such as eating slower and taking smaller bites. Mindless over-eating tends to happen in front of a computer or television. Eating in groups creates conversation, which means you'll be taking breaks between bites. This process over the course of a meal allows time to listen to your body, especially when it tells you it is full.
A restaurant placard, Santorini, Greece (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
When you do eat alone, remind yourself to slow down. Rushing through a meal is never a good idea. It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that you're full. Plate up your food in an attractive way. Sit at the table, not in front of the television. Choose foods that take some time to chew and chew that food slowly and savor the flavors. With each slow bite, you are allowing your stomach and brain to catch up so you begin to feel full faster. Now your brain has a chance to tell you to stop eating when you no longer feel hungry. You'll also get to enjoy your food more!
Eat Breakfast
We've all heard that a good day starts with a good breakfast. This is true for several reasons. The term “breakfast” does actually mean to “break” your “fast.” During your sleeping hours, your body went into hibernation mode. Think of a bear in a den during the winter. A bear's metabolism slows down and their body stores fat for the long winter nap. Your body is doing something similar each and every night; slowing down and storing fat. In the morning, your body is “told” that it can stop storing fat when you give it some nutrition in the way of some healthy food. Your breakfast jump-starts your metabolism by telling your body that it's time to burn some fat for energy. Skipping breakfast keeps your body in hibernation mode. It still thinks it has to store fat away for later. It just makes sense to have some fruit, an egg, a glass of milk, some yogurt, a handful of nuts, a bowl of oatmeal, or a small muffin to wake up your metabolism.
Eat Several Smaller Meals and Snacks
We have also heard it's good to have “3 square meals” a day. Unlike the breakfast anthem we just discussed, this one isn't considered a wise move anymore, especially when it comes to weight loss. Rather than eating three large meals a day, having several smaller meals and interspersing healthy snacks throughout the day keeps your body's metabolism on a steady course which keeps blood sugar levels on an even keel. Starting with breakfast, then midday snack, then a light lunch, then another snack, then dinner, then another snack; you get the picture. Choose the schedule that works best with your day and just be sure to not allow yourself to get really hungry during the day. That hungry feeling is a sign that your body is scared it won't get fed and it's gone into fat-storing mode.
To set yourself up for success rather than failure, think about your healthy diet in these smaller, more manageable steps rather than one big drastic change. People often think of healthy eating as an all or nothing proposition, but a key foundation for any healthy diet is moderation. Your diet is about more than the food on your plate; it is also about how you think about food and how your body reacts. With just a few changes in your eating habits, you could be on your way to that ideal weight.
No comments:
Post a Comment
We welcome comments and suggestions!