How to enjoy your food without any guilt?
SEPTEMBER 28 19 – 14:21
The modern way of life demands less and less time in the preparation of homemade food, with the consequence that we increasingly eat outside the house or look for quick and easy solutions even inside the house! In fact, recent data from the United States show that about $ 365 million is spent annually on eating out.
In recent years, the approach that focuses on “mindfulness eating”, ie the way of eating that is done with absolute consciousness and not mechanically and / or out of habit, is constantly gaining ground, regarding the best weight control. Let’s look at some ways we can make our eating process… more enjoyable!
1. A basic principle of “conscious eating” is to feel every bite of your meal. Try to feel the taste of salt, the smell and taste of spices, the feeling of fat…. in other words the taste of your every bite.
2. If it is difficult for you to “break” your mechanical and fast way of eating, try to activate your senses before each bite. Smell your food, count the colors on your plate, feel your clothes touching your body, feel your shoes. This reduces the chances of eating mechanically and not consciously.
3. In case you eat outside or takeaway, check the restaurant menu and pre-plan your order. Most restaurants have their menu posted on the internet, so you can plan to eat your favorite meal, without being distracted by what you will see or smell there, even when you are hungry!
4. If it is difficult for you to eat slowly, try eating with your left hand or even with sticks. This will break your habit of eating mechanically and quickly.
5. Start your meal first with a salad or some raw vegetable. This will help you get full faster and thus reduce the chances of overeating.
6. Gain complete control over the meal. Do not hesitate to ask the waiter or the host (if you are in another house) about how the dish you want is prepared, how big the portion is, if the meat has a sauce and how thick it is, as well as to ask for changes if they can be done like replacing french fries with mashed potatoes or potato salad, serving you the sauce so you can put as much as you want and so on.
7. Do not be fooled by the attractive descriptions of the menus, such as “tender”, “juicy”, “crunchy” and many more. It has been found that such descriptions increase the sales of these dishes by 23%. Stay true to what you really want to eat.
8. Pay attention to appetizers. Without realizing it, they will load you with as many calories as an entire main meal. Preset your small plate with a small bite of your favorite appetizers and limit yourself to them.
9. Beware of alcohol. It raises our mood and leads us to overeat. You can accompany your meal with a glass of wine, but try to eat only what you have planned and it is on your plate.
10. You do not need to finish your meal. Once you are full, there is no need to turn your stomach into a garbage can. Ask for what is left over to be packed and taken with you, while in case you are home, save it so you can consume it later.
11. If you have finished your meal ask to have your plate picked up or get up immediately from the kitchen table. It has been found that the more we are exposed to food the more we eat.
12. When it comes to dessert, remember that one or two bites are enough to change our taste. Another smart rule of thumb is to share the sweetness with your co-conspirators.
Dr. Anastasios Papalazarou
Dietitian – Nutritionist www.drpapalazarou.gr
Instagram @drpapalazarou
F / b Anastasios Papalazarou
Source: www.nutrimed.gr
Photos: Freepik.com
