How to Eat Properly
HOW TO EAT PROPERLY
This topic might seem like something everyone knows how to do, but the truth is that many don’t. Here are some tips and advice on how to eat properly.
The first thing to do is “sit down and slow down”. Taking time to eat is so important for your stomach to absorb the nutrients from the food and for weight loss. Fast eating causes heart burn, bloating and indigestion. Plan to spend at least 20 minutes to eat your meal. Sit down at a table, not on the sofa in front of the TV. If you eat while you’re standing up or multi-tasking then you’ll tend to overeat because you’re not focusing on eating therefore unable to fully enjoy your meal. Slow down by chewing your food at least 20 times per forkful. Properly chewed food is essential for the digestive system. And don’t forget the role of your teeth and tongue. Your teeth need to chew to stay strong and your tongue needs the food to stay in the mouth long enough so it can recognize the flavors and send it to the brain. The process of chewing is important so you can taste and enjoy your food. You’ll notice you will feel full and satisfied. This will cause you to eat less.
Use your senses. Pay attention to the aroma, the colors of the food and the presentation. And yes, you should be enjoying your food…which leads me into the next tip.
There’s no need to feel guilty about food. It’s okay to eat with pleasure so stop putting so many rules on yourself when it comes to eating. Deprivation is one of the worst things you could do to yourself regarding your diet. Eating doesn’t have to be as stressful as so many of us make it… it should be a time of day when you can sit down, relax and nourish your body.
Don’t deprive yourself…instead look at the quality and quantity of the food you’re eating and make different choices. Stay away from food that is full of preservatives and artificial colors. Eat clean foods. What I mean by “clean” is natural, pure and fresh. Many people consume too much food at one sitting, which is something that YOU can control while still being able to enjoy the foods you love. A simple thing you can do is reduce portion sizes, but do this gradually so your body will have time to adjust so it won’t sabotage your efforts causing you to binge. Remember if diets based on deprivation and guilt worked, everyone would be thin.
Pay attention to how and what you’re eating. For example: last night you went out for dinner and ate a 3-course meal, including bread and dessert. First of all don’t feel guilty or punish yourself for enjoying a meal, instead, be sure to eat something light and nutritious for breakfast the next morning. Rather than eating a danish with coffee for breakfast, eat ½ cup of oatmeal with blueberries and soy milk or ½ cup of cottage cheese with strawberries and green tea. For lunch eat a small salad with sliced turkey and balsamic vinaigrette. For dinner eat baked fish with lots of steamed green veggies. Do your normal exercise routine and try to get in some additional walking. Park further away from the door, use the stairs or take a walk during your lunch break or after work. The key is balance, not deprivation or overindulgence.
I know you’ve heard this so many times…”drink plenty of water”. Did you know that many times when you think you’re hungry you’re actually thirsty? So the next time you feel hunger (when you shouldn’t really be hungry) instead of going for a snack, drink a glass of water. Wait 20 minutes and then if you’re still hungry, have a nutritious snack such as an apple with a handful of almonds, a healthy yogurt (one that isn’t full of sugar) or celery sticks filled with almond butter. If you drink water and wait 20 minutes and are no longer hungry, you’ll realize it was thirst that needed to be satisfied not hunger. Furthermore, water flushes toxins from your body, hydrates you and helps you lose weight. For every eight glasses of water you drink you’ll lose 20 to 50 calories. We recommend drinking glasses of water before and after your meals rather than during your meals. Gulping down fluids during a meal will interfere with the digestive process by diluting the stomach acids. This can cause digestive problems; bloating, gas and heartburn…just lightly sip water during a meal and load up on water between meals.
Don’t skip breakfast as it is one of the most important meals of the day. Be sure to leave enough time to sit down and eat a healthy breakfast within an hour upon waking. You’ll have so much energy during the morning if you eat a healthy breakfast.
To recap…enjoy your meals, eat slowly, chew your food, and watch the quality and quantity of the foods you eat, drink plenty of water between meals and eat breakfast. Remember eating properly is about balance not deprivation or over indulgence.
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Cheryl and Tennille have over 14 years experience in Health and Wellness. They created Della Naturaceuticals with specific people in mind…those who are stuck in the vicious cycle of trying to lose weight and gain control of their health. To find out how you can get accurate info about diet and exercise, products to aid in weight loss and nutrition plus coaching for support and guidance, visit http://www.DellaNaturaceuticals.com
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