THE METHOD TO MINDFUL EATING
In an article in the Huffington Post, the resident ‘The Healthy Living Expert’ Margaret Marshall shares six top tips for surviving the holiday season with your health and diet more or less intact. In summary, they are:
- Rate all holiday foods from 1 to 10, with ten being your favourite. Eat only your 8s, 9s and 10s.
- Practise portion control. Put a smart portion on your plate, eat it slowly and savour it.
- See your plate. When food is not piled on your plate and does not overlap, the design on your plate is visible.
- Take only the food you want, not what others think you should eat or ‘taste’.
- Distance yourself from platters of challenging (read ‘tempting’) food.
- Listen to your breathing. When you sigh or begin to breathe a little deeper, your body has had enough to eat.
DINING OUT NOT FILLING OUT
If you are planning outings, it’s advisable to go for a-la-carte instead of those all-you-can eat buffets. You might think it’s ‘good value’ and feel compelled to ‘eat your money’s worth’, but think of the cost of the whole new wardrobe you’ll have to buy to accommodate your expanded waistline, not to mention the gym membership fees…
When attending parties, try not to go on an empty stomach. Eat a healthy snack, and avoid simple carbs that are digested quickly and leave you feeling hungrier than before you ate.
And when you’ve eaten elegantly sufficient, try popping a mint into your mouth. That fresh feeling on your palate will hopefully deter you from just another mouthful of chicken curry or garlic prawns…
DRESS FOR LESS
What you wear can have an impact on what you eat – seriously. Chances are, you have a section in your wardrobe filled with ‘fat clothes’. Ditch them. Wearing a caftan to a buffet is a bad idea. Instead, wear your skinny jeans or a tailored frock. When you’ve eaten enough, the pressure on your waistband will apply pressure to your conscience.
All that said, enjoy the holidays. Remember, it’s the people you meet and greet, not the food you eat, that makes the occasion special!
Source:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/margaret-marshall/8-holiday-eating-survival_b_6098888.html
