Did you know that you can make improvements in your health and eating without changing your foods? It’s true! Building a healthier relationship with food starts with the actual process of eating, and we’ve put together our top three tips to help you improve your eating and health!
Tip #1: Eat Without Distractions
And yes, this means no phone, tablet, or other media. Why? Eating meals with distractions may cause you to eat faster and eat more. Over time, the extra bites may lead to weight gain. Eating meals and snacks without distraction helps you focus on what you’re doing, i.e. eating, and may help you eat less because you may be more in tune with your hunger and fullness levels.
Tip #2 Eat When You’re Hungry
Eating when you’re hungry seems simple! Unfortunately, many of us are not in tune with our hunger and fullness cues. If you wait to eat at 12:00 PM when you’re hungry at 11:00 AM, you may find yourself losing focus and eating more at 12:00 PM. Why? Not eating when you feel hungry may cause you to feel more ravenous the next time you eat. This means you might eat more because you feel famished!
What can you do? First, pay attention to your hunger and fullness levels. Next, make sure your meals and snacks have a balance of carbohydrate, fat, and protein. If you feel hungry shortly after a meal, for instance, you may not have had enough to eat or your meal may not have had enough protein or fat. Both protein and fat help keep you feeling full and may help your blood sugar stay in your target range.
Tip #3 Eat Earlier in the Day
Mom may have been right that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Why? Research shows that eating earlier in the day may help people lose weight by lowering appetite, which may help you eat less the rest of the day. Eating earlier in the day may also help your focus and energy levels! Did you every really doubt mom?
Eating without distractions, eating when you’re hungry, and eating earlier in the day are small changes you can make that may improve your health. Ultimately, these changes can help you build a solid foundation as you journey towards building a healthier relationship with food!
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