Being mindful of one's eating
habits is essential to a healthy lifestyle. One of the best way to be conscious
with what we are putting in our bodies is to set aside time specifically for
eating a meal. With today's busy schedules, this can be difficult; however, it
helps us eat less as we are able to really experience the food.
To make the most out of each
morsel, eat slowly and avoid multi-tasking while eating. Eating quickly or
eating while doing other activities such as working, or watching TV diminishes
the amount of satisfaction from a meal and can lead to overeating.
Try to set aside
20-30 minutes for each meal, during which you do nothing but enjoy your food.
Of course, sometimes, it is
difficult to set aside a time for a whole meal, so here are a few tips to help
us be mindful of our snack-intake:
· Portion
snack foods. Placing snacks either on a dish or in individual bags
helps one be conscious of the amount of food they are eating and thus helps
them avoid overeating.
· Use a
smaller plate and glass. Using a smaller plate also helps to
moderate portions. This is equally important for drinking glasses. Unless it is
for water, a smaller glass is best to help limit intake of sugary drinks. A
tall, thin glass works especially well.
· Avoid
eating out of boredom. Each time you reach for a snack,
evaluate if you are actually eating due to hunger or if you are eating out of
boredom. Emotional eating is easy to identify; when you want a specific
food and nothing else will do you are emotionally eating. If you find yourself
in this situation, go for a walk, engage in a hobby, remove yourself from the
kitchen.
