Change your habits!
This week I have had several conversations with people trying to restrict what they eat post festive season. Then in the next breath, they have moaned about the food they are missing out on! So, why not try something different instead? When it comes to eating better, most people worry about the little details:
- ‘Are potatoes fattening?’
- ‘If I don’t drink a protein shake after my workout, is it even worth exercising?’
- ‘Is keto really the best way to lose weight? Or should I be doing Paleo? Or what about the alkaline diet?!’
Yet they eat over the kitchen sink. Or in their car. Or absentmindedly while in front of the TV. Or pick the children’s leftovers.
Who can blame them? We’ve been taught to think about what we eat, not how we eat.
How we eat.
Eating slowly and mindfully can actually be an incredibly powerful habit for driving major transformation.
Instead of having to work out which foods to eat, how often, and in what portions (all important), eating slowly is the simplest way anyone can start eating and feeling better, immediately!
Does it matter?
Definitely. For two main reasons:
1. It takes about 20 minutes for your body’s satiety signals to kick in. Slow eating gives your system time to work, allowing you to better sense when you’ve had enough.
2. When you slow down, and really try to savour your meal, you tend to feel satisfied with less, and feel less deprived.
What’s the catch?
People struggle with this habit! A lot!
So, practice eating slower, and know it will take time. That’s okay.
It’s also a great idea to spend a whole month on just this one habit!
To help you, try one of these tips. You can experiment with them for just one meal, or take on a full ’30-day slow-eating challenge,’ if you feel up to it.
Tips to eat better
1.Take a breath.
Before you eat, pause. Take one breath. Take one bite. Then take another breath. Go one bite and one breath at a time. That’s it.
2. Add one minute per meal.
At the beginning of a meal, start a clock and see if you can make each meal one minute longer than the meal before.
3.Do something between bites.
Besides taking a breath (or three), try:
- setting down your utensils
- taking a sip of water
- asking someone at the table a question
4.Savour your food.
When you eat… eat. Enjoy it. Really taste it. Is it salty? Sweet? What’s the texture like? Is it crunchy? Chewy? Soft? Flaky? Juicy? Think about these questions with each bite. Really savour and enjoy each bite.
5.Notice what affects eating speed.
Try to eat mindfully. Even something as subtle as silence or background music can trigger you to speed up or slow down. Some people have found success with listening to a 20-minute ‘slow eating’ playlist – yes really!
And finally
6. Try to remember: Keep your knife and fork empty… if there’s still food in your mouth!
Sharing
I hope this has been useful to you in some way. If you missed last weeks post, have a look at some tips for planning! Remember to sign up and subscribe so you get all my new posts straight into your inbox!
Drop me a line below in the comments if you have any great tips, if you’ve tried any of these or if you just want to say hello!
Speak soon
Laurena x
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