Let’s Make Eating Healthy Fun!

Learning to eat well regularly does not have to be a painful experience. After all, we all know that when we’re told not to eat something we will daydream about it the whole entire day, craving to take a sneaky bite into our desired cuisine.

1. Portion-Control Plan : Abide by the “half now, half later” rule.

It is important to be careful when either eating out or at home, the size of your cutlery can determine how much you consume. Sometimes without realizing we add more than is necessary for our bodies onto a plate because it’s larger to make it look full. If you order a sandwich or pasta bowl for lunch and you feel that the portion may be too large, then enjoy half of it, and save the other half for later.  Your eyes are likely bigger than your stomach, so you’ll still be full and won’t feel deprived. In fact, recent research published in Food Quality and Preference found that portion size didn’t have a direct impact on a diner’s level of satisfaction.

So eat on a smaller plate, and you may just end up dropping a few pounds. You’re automatically reducing portion size, but more importantly, according to food psychologist Brian Wansink, you’re tricking your brain into being satisfied.

2. Portion-Control Plan : Balance your plate.

Having a balanced meal everyday is key to blood sugar stabilization, which is an important factor in controlling your sugar cravings as well as your hunger. Eating a meal composed of protein, carbohydrate, and fat will keep you fuller for longer. The protein stabilizes your blood sugar, the carbohydrates contain slow-to-digest fiber and are rich in metabolism-boosting B Vitamins, and the fat satiates our brain and bellies.

3. Portion-Control Plan : Go to bed!

Surely by now we all know that when we’re low on sleep and energy, we often turn to fast foods that are quick to get your hands on, easy to eat and provide immediate gratification. Unfortunately, these particular foods are often high in calories, refined carbs, sugar, and overall fat, while lacking in fibers, proteins, and essential vitamins and minerals. Sleeping keeps you slim. In fact, one large study that followed 68,183 women for sixteen years found that those who slept five hours or fewer per night were significantly more likely to gain weight over that time period than women who slept six or more hours.

You should aim for 7-8 hours per night. Create a relaxing bedtime ritual like reading or stretching to signal your body that it’s time for sleep, and stay away from technology an hour before bed.

4. Portion-Control Plan : Chill out.

When we’re stressed, our bodies release hormones such as adrenaline for an immediate burst of energy, and cortisol, the ultimate stress hormone. From an evolutionary standpoint, cortisol increases our appetite so that we can replenish our energy stores for the next time we need to “fight or flee.” The problem is, modern stressors in our everyday lives (screaming children, bad traffic, annoying neighbors, demanding bosses, etc.) often don’t require energy expenditure, so this drive to eat more food is unnecessary and ultimately leads to weight gain, among other health problems. A great way to counteract stress is to simply exercise. In addition to burning calories, it releases other hormones that offset the negative effects of stressful situations.

5. Portion-Control Plan : Put your silverware to good use.

By cutting up your food you might begin to eat less of it. Smaller pieces of food may trick your brain into perceiving that there’s more of it, the same applies when you’re advised to chew your food instead of just gobbling it down. When college students were offered either a whole bagel or a bagel cut into quarters, those who were offered the quartered bagel ate less of the bagel and ate fewer calories at a later meal. According to researchers, people use numbers to judge how much of a food is present, therefore four quarters of a bagel appears to be more than one whole bagel.