|
Three Awesome Tips to help you Eat Healthier (and
Happier) in 2009
By Jordan Rubin – ExtraOrdinary Health Article
 You’ve heard the adage, “If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.”
This is true in every area of our lives—our finances, our
relationships, and even the way we eat…So let’s take a moment to plan
not to fail this year in the area of eating.
Did you know that most young children under the age of five will
instinctively eat only when they are hungry and stop when they are
full? Though we typically lose this more natural, instinctive way to
eating, we can gain it back. Here are three easy steps:
Pay Attention to Real Hunger.
Many of us eat for reasons other than hunger. We eat because food is
there and it looks tasty, we eat so our kid’s unwanted dinner doesn’t
go to waste, we eat when we are happy, or we eat when we are sad.
Overcoming emotional eating and eating because we are hungry (and
stopping when we are full) is attainable. It does, however, take some
effort—and maybe an apple test.
Yes. You heard right...an apple test.
Jessica Setnick, MS, RD has people try the “apple test” prior to
eating to determine if they are truly hungry. When a craving starts or
you feel like eating, but know deep down that you might not be hungry,
ask yourself, “Would I eat an apple?” If the answer is yes, then you
are indeed hungry. If you would not eat an apple but would eat cookies
or other similar food, then you are not hungry. As simple as this may
sound, the apple test could help you deliberately pay attention to and
assess your hunger levels.
If you aren’t hungry, then the next step is figuring out why you are
turning to food. If the answer is boredom, stress, sadness or any
other emotional reason, then facing that reason and finding an
alternative way to handle it is necessary.
Eat at the Table.
Although we make our children sit down and eat at the table, sometimes
we don’t do so. Instead, we may eat while we are making a meal, or
grab more food when we are cleaning up from dinner. By sitting down to
the table, however, we can condition ourselves to equate eating with
sitting down at the table—not eating just anywhere. And it may sound
simpler than it is.
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to walk by a plate of cookies or
other treats and just start diving in? Or what about grabbing that
fast food and eating while you work at your computer or while you are
brainstorming for or managing that next project?
Let’s face it. We are creatures of habit, and creating and sticking to
the habit of sitting down at the table for eating might help you out
in the long run when it comes to an eating plan. Besides that, when
you sit at the table, chances are that you will enjoy your meal
more—which brings us to the next suggestion.
Enjoy the Dining Experience.
Even if you do sit at the table to eat, do you really enjoy your food
or do you just scarf it down like the family pet? Do you find yourself
fidgeting with the remote, your cell phone, or watching the evening
news while you dine? The truth is that it is difficult to really enjoy
any experience, or relationship for that matter, unless you give it
your undivided attention.
It’s important to slow down and take the time to savor the food—its
texture, its seasonings, and its nourishment. Slowing down has other
benefits, too. It takes about 20 minutes from the time the food enters
your mouth until your brain signals that you have eaten. The more
slowly you eat, the less you eat before the signal that you are not
hungry registers. Eating more slowly also means you are chewing it
more completely and preparing it for the stomach.
When you slow down and focus on enjoying your dining experience, you
often get the added bonus of great conversation and reconnecting with
the people who matter to you.
The Bottom Line?
Strategize your eating for the coming year. By doing so, you will have
a plan that will work and is also enjoyable.
Note from Christine:
 Need
help with your healthy eating or weight loss plans?
The Perfect Weight America
program by Jordan Rubin, offers great resources for healthy eating,
weight loss and even fitness goals.
The Perfect Weight America Success Kit
provides you will all the Support and Supplemental products you need
to get you started on your perfect weight and health goals. It even
includes a special code for your online, personalized health and diet
support and resources.
The Perfect Weight America Resource Kit provides you with:
For more information how the Perfect Weight America program
and
products can help you, click here.
The statements in this article have not been evaluated by the Food and
Drug Administration. The information contained here is not intended to
diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Suggestions and ideas
presented in this article are for information only and should not be
interpreted as medical advice, meant for diagnosing illness, or for
prescriptive purposes. Readers are encouraged to consult their health
care provider before beginning any cleanse, diet, detoxification
program, or any supplement regimen. The information in this document
is not to be used to replace the services or instructions of a
physician or qualified health care practitioner. |
