Cultivating Healthy Eating Habits
It is said that how you eat is just as important as what you eat.
Here are a few simple habits you can start cultivating today:
- Eat small meals every 3 hours. Each meal should contain a portion of carbs, proteins, and a bit of good fat (High quality oils, almonds, nuts, olives etc.). This gets your metabolism going and helps ward off unneeded snacks. Click here for more information about the basic food elements.
- Don’t eat when you’re standing, driving, walking, speaking on the phone etc, even if it's a snack or something small.
- When eating. focus only on eating. This may seem trivial, but it's very important. It's also a bit difficult to do at first. Sit down in front of a table, don’t do anything other than eating. Don’t read a newspaper, watch television, read a book, or even listen to music. Taste the food, enjoy eating it. When you're more satisfied with your food, you'll need a smaller amount.
- Do not put food in your mouth until the previous bite has gone into the stomach. Don’t speak when the food is in the mouth, but only in the stomach.
- Eat when the stomach is empty; when there is no remnant of a previous meal in the stomach. Generally , it takes approximately 4 hours for all the food to leave our stomach. You can feel if there is still remnants of food in your stomach. If there isn't, it is okay to eat. If there is food, wait. This may disrupt your meal schedule, but you will adjust quickly.
- Take time to chew your food: Chew your food slowly, savoring every bite. We tend to rush though our meals, forgetting to actually taste the flavors and feel the textures of what is in our mouths. Reconnect with the joy of eating.
- Avoid stress while eating: Stress affects the digestion process. Try taking some deep breaths prior to beginning your meal, light candles to create a relaxing atmosphere, or eat outside on your front porch.
- Eat early: Starting your day with a healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism.