Simple Mistakes...
In our busy day to day lives it is so simple to make simple mistakes. Taking in consideration all the duties/responsibilities/decision making in our everyday lives it's the simple things we unintentionally miss from time to time. The simple things we can change will ultimately cultivate into a lifestyle change, not necessarily a diet.
Eating right is simple...not really!
Chefs tip:
Keep healthy snacks ready & available for you throughout the day. At your desk, in your car, back pack, or the Coach purse your carrying. It's your responsibility. Pack healthy options such as almonds, nuts, apples, bananas, create a salad or maybe even a can of tuna. If you keep them close it will help calm the cravings & most assuredly with a little discipline you can fight the temptation to scarf down the nearest & most convenient eatery you see.
If you live or work in the city try walking a few more blocks...maybe you have to leave a bit earlier or adjust your schedule but its well worth the extra couple minutes.
Think active...If your at the mall no longer jocky for the best parking space up front, park further away & walk a little bit more. "Simple decisions that only you can make...can make a world of difference!"
Chefs tip:
Deuteronomy 8:3
Try eating with your non-dominant hand to help slow down your consumption. Put your cell phone away from the dinner table & be aware of what your eating.
Americans could use a tutorial on eating food slowly. In certain countries and cultures, a meal can last for hours. People sit around a table, whole extended families gathered, they talk, eat and drink late into the evening. In the U.S., that just doesn’t happen. The average meal is 11 minutes long – with some breakfasts and lunches lasting barely 2 minutes. Personally, my breakfast falls into the 2-minute category if I have it at all!
Here are some of the reasons why we should all eat slower:
1. Taste Your Food
One obvious benefit to eating slower is that you will taste your food & better enjoy it. If you double the amount of time it takes you to eat a meal, you’ll experience more of the flavors, textures and smells of the food you eat. Your food will become more interesting.
2. Lose Weight
While you are slowing down, you might find that you learn to stop eating sooner. You might notice that you are full and don’t need that extra bite. Studies show that "fullness" is a complex concept that combines the number of times you chew, the time you spend eating, the look of the food on the plate, as well as the actual amount of food you eat. Slow down and you may feel full with less.
3. Choose Better Foods
Cut down a bit of your belly every day by using this 1 weird old tip...
This is good because the more you pay attention to your foods, the more you will prefer natural healthy foods. Here’s why: most factory produced foods are carefully designed by food engineers to taste great for the first 3 or so bites. After that the food begins to taste bland and uninteresting (if you don’t believe me, try eating a name-brand cookie for a minute).
You feel an urge to eat another cookie or potato chip after just a few chews. If you slow down and be sure to chew thoroughly, these heavily processed foods will taste pretty disgusting (again, if you don’t believe me, try chewing a potato chip 25 times – it gets real nasty). Natural foods, on the other hand, stay interesting as you chew them. A strawberry starts out with a burst of juice, but then stays interesting as you chew. Oranges, nuts and vegetables are the same.
4. Be More Social
Meals are a time when people gather and spend time together. Once the meal is over, everyone goes their separate ways. By taking more time at a meal, you’ll be able to talk with your friends and family more, improve relationships and feel more connected. Put you cell phone down at the dinner table & enjoy your meal with your loved ones.
5. Stop Before You’re Full
It takes your stomach about 20 minutes to produce the hormones that tell your brain that you are full. This process doesn’t start until your stomach begins to stretch. If you slow down, you give yourself more time to feel full. This gives you a better chance of stopping before you "get stuffed."
Bonus: Improve Your Digestion
Eating slower gives your stomach more time to start working on the food. When you send an entire meal down your throat in 5 minutes, you may find yourself suffering from indigestion. Instead, take 20 minutes to eat the same amount of food. Your stomach will have a much easier job. Eating slower might also result in you chewing more, giving your stomach a head start in the digestive process.
Check out my gallery page here on my web-site for a great red quinoa recipe!
Hope this information is helpful...please feel free to leave comments & or requests at the bottom of my blog page.
