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- iHaveNet.com: Health
Set Yourself Up for Success with Mindful Eating
by McKenzie Hall, R.D.
Be aware of your food environment -- plate size, food packages and distractions -- in order to achieve your goals for healthy eating.
We all complain of not having enough time -- even for sitting down to a quiet meal. Instead, we often find ourselves eating in the car, at the computer or while working. These distractions create an environment for making poor food choices, such as eating too much at one time and munching on unhealthy snacks high in sugar, saturated fat and salt.
Frequently, we eat mindlessly, unaware of what and how much we consume, which contributes to our growing waistbands, as well as the onset of chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Keep track of what and how much you eat by turning off your smart phone, TV and computer while you eat.
"You can become mindful of your food environment and set yourself on the right path for making healthy eating decisions," says
Mindful Eating Tips
1. Make a dish swap.
Replace your 12-inch plate with a smaller dinner plate. According to the
2. Make a color change.
Changing the color of your dishes can change consumption, too. The same study found that a serving dish that offered higher contrast, for example pasta with red marinara sauce served on a white plate vs. a red plate, reduced how much people served themselves by 21 percent. The higher contrast between the plate and the food makes the serving look larger.
3. Create workplace wellness.
According to
4. Slow down and incorporate your senses.
Instead of shoveling food into your mouth, slow it down. It takes time for your brain to register when you have had enough to eat.
5. Turn it off.
Avoid reading and turn off your smart phone, television and computer while you eat, as these activities can distract you from paying attention to what and how much you eat. Instead, savor your food in order to lower food consumption and increase the pleasure of your meal.
6. Reduce your package and serving size.
The bigger the package you pour from, the more you will eat. In fact, research shows that bigger package size can lead to 20 to 30 percent more food consumption. Repackage your jumbo boxes into smaller bags or containers, and serve the food in smaller dishes.
7. Try new silverware.
Choose a smaller spoon or eat with chopsticks for portion control. Even nutrition experts given a larger serving spoon served themselves 57 percent more ice cream than those given a smaller spoon. Consider trading in your fork for chopsticks; it will force you to take smaller bites and eat slower.
8. Add vegetables and fruits.
For lunch or dinner, fill half of your plate with vegetables and fruits to increase your consumption of health-protective nutrients and fiber, which can help you feel satisfied with fewer calories.
9. Don't put bowls on the table.
Instead of placing food in serving bowls on the table, dish up your plate in the kitchen.
"Because guys generally eat faster than females, this is great for males," says Wansink. In fact, men eat 29 percent less if bowls stay on the kitchen counter.
10. Serve salad first.
People tend to eat more of whatever they start with, and if given a choice we tend to go for meat or potatoes first. So starting with a vegetable salad creates a win-win situation.
Article: Copyright ©
"Set Yourself Up for Success with Mindful Eating"