|
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.
The New Year is when most of us make our resolutions to become healthier. And even though January 1st is not technically here yet, it is only days away. So let’s take a moment to plan not to fail this coming 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.
|